Gas-fuelled cold ironing for Hamburg

In 2012 AIDA Cruises and Becker Marine Systems teamed up on a long-term cooperation project to provide low emission electrical power to cruise ships while at port. The barge will be fitted with five Caterpillar-based gensets supplied by Zeppelin Power Systems totalling 7.5 MW for 50/60 Hz operating solely on LNG. These are the first marine classified LNG Caterpillar engines to be delivered to customers.

The LNG Hybrid Barge is scheduled for completion by summer 2014, two years after the initial project startup. The 74m long barge will be stationed in the Port of Hamburg, which will then be the first port in Europe able to provide cold ironing power to cruise ships. In addition, the barge and its engines are to be outfitted to supply combined heat and power to potential customers, further improving the ecological footprint.