Shore power is now available for ships docked at PortMiami (Florida USA). At a celebratory event on Monday, June 17, the Carnival Conquest, representing Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise company, was announced as the first cruise ship to utilize landside electrical power at PortMiami, the cruise capital of the world.
This advancement is the result of a collaborative effort between Miami-Dade County, Florida Power & Light Company, and several cruise lines, including Carnival Corporation. PortMiami is now the first major cruise port on the U.S. eastern seaboard to offer shore power connections at 5 cruise berths.
The selection of Carnival Conquest for the inaugural connection at PortMiami follows Carnival Corporation's achievement of surpassing its 2030 shore power goal in 2023, 7 years ahead of schedule. The company now leads the industry with 67% of its fleet shore power-capable, which is double the number of ships than there are ports equipped to provide shore power.
Shore power allows cruise operators to switch off ship engines while in port and connect to the local electric grid to power onboard systems and equipment. This method can reduce total emissions by up to 98%, depending on the energy source mix. Carnival Corporation is committed to using shoreside electricity when available and operationally feasible, and is working closely with ports worldwide to invest in this capability.
Carnival Corporation's current shore power achievements include:
- Two-thirds of the company's global fleet, 64 ships, are equipped with shore power capabilities and are ready to connect where port connections are available.
- Nearly half of its global cruise lines' fleets are fully shore power-capable.
- An additional three ships will be outfitted with shore power capabilities this year, and a recent agreement with Switzerland-based ABB Group will help install 30 additional shore power connections on Carnival Corporation ships in the coming years.
Shore power is one of many emission reduction technologies employed by Carnival Corporation to reduce fuel use as part of its overall decarbonization strategy and pursuit of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Due to the aggressive and ongoing actions taken across the fleet, Carnival Corporation is producing over 10% less total GHG emissions today than in 2011, despite a roughly 30% increase in capacity during that time.