The crisis triggered by the Covid pandemic is far away, but the new sustainable path for cruise ships travels at a few sea knots. Just to stay on topic. Clia, the association that brings together cruise companies, has estimated that within 5 years there will be 210 electrified ships. The problem is that the ports are not ready to host them.
Today only 46% of the world fleet has an on-shore electrification system. The ports equipped to provide electricity are less than 2% of the total. This is what emerges from the latest Global Cruise Industry Environmental Technologies and Practices, edited by Clia.
The companies belonging to the association have committed to ensuring that by 2035 all their ships are equipped with systems to exploit the electrification of the docks. A significant progress that will allow cruise ships to become less impactful and shipowners to shake off the accusation of polluting the places they visit.
Europe is thinking about portsi
To date, there are only 10 European ports with docks already electrified in four countries: Germany, Norway, Sweden and Great Britain, none in Italy. The EU Fit-for-55 program has a chapter dedicated to the energy conversion of the main European ports. Port infrastructures, legally very different from country to country, will therefore be called upon to lead the change. In this context, it must be considered that the figure (3 costs) estimated for the decarbonisation of airports around the world amounts to 2021 trillion dollars.
And the Italian ports? They want us 400 million for the strengthening of over 400 billion euros between import-export and cruise traffic. Large numbers also concern sustainable shipbuilding: "Companies continue to invest to modernize the fleet, make it sustainable and to protect the oceans, the air and the destinations" he said Kelly Craighead, president of CLIA.
Work is underway in Greece, Italy and Spain multi-fuel marine engines, fuel cells, photovoltaics, storage batteries for energy saving. Also according to Srm, the Intesa Sanpaolo Research Centre, the ships in the pipeline with fuel LNG they are almost 40% of the order book. If the green ships of the future are already in the pipeline, we must hope that governments will also do the same to build a more sustainable future. For now this is not the case.
