Biofuels provider GoodFuels has completed the company’s first bio-bunkering for a cruise ship. Working in partnership with AIDA Cruises, GoodFuels refueled the AIDAprima – a Hyperion-class cruise ship – with sustainable biofuels in the Port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
The sustainable biofuel provided by GoodFuels is derived from feedstocks which have been certified as 100% waste or residue, with no land-use issues and no competition with food production or deforestation. This enables a well-to-exhaust CO2 reduction of between 80% and 90% when compared to conventional fossil fuels. The AIDAprima was bunkered with the company’s biofuel without any engine or tank modifications or tasks needing to be completed.
The bio-bunkering is part of AIDA Cruises’ plans to invest in new-low carbon emissions technologies as part of the company’s long-term decarbonization strategy. After the first and successful bio-bunkering, AIDA Cruises aims to complete similar sustainable refueling in the future.
“This first bio-bunkering with AIDA Cruises marks an exciting step forward on the cruise industry’s decarbonization pathway, demonstrating that our sustainable biofuels are a safe, technically viable and convenient option to drastically cut down emissions from passenger vessels,” said Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, GoodFuels. “As the effects of climate change are felt acutely in several parts of the world, the time for action is now, and biofuels are one of the few options that can already make a difference today.”
“We continue to actively explore all opportunities to decarbonize our fleet while advancing efficiency in line with international carbon intensity reduction targets,” added Felix Eichhorn, president, AIDA Cruises. “With the successful start of biofuel usage, we have proven that gradual decarbonization is possible even on ships already in service. An important prerequisite for us as a cruise line to be able to use it is that it becomes widely available on an industrial scale and at marketable prices.”