Carnival Conquest will be first ship to plug in to shore power at Port Miami

Carnival Conquest is one of 64 Carnival Corporation ships equipped for shore power. [Photo: Carnival]

Shore power is arriving for ships docked at PortMiami, and yesterday Carnival Corporation announced that Carnival Conquest would be the first cruise ship to plug into landside electrical power at the cruise capital of the world.

Through an industry partnership between Miami-Dade County, Carnival Corporation & plc, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Royal Caribbean Group, Virgin Voyages, and Florida Power & Light Company, PortMiami is the first major cruise port on the U.S. eastern seaboard offering shore power capability at five cruise berths. In the coming year, 21 cruise ships will be outfitted to use shoreside power and connect in Miami. The seaport will have more than 350 vessel calls plugging into the shore power system.

“This is an important milestone for our hometown and we’re proud to support Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and all county and port officials for their amazing partnership in bringing shore power to PortMiami,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We continue to implement important initiatives that have kept us ahead of our ambitious goals to reduce emissions, and this new shore power capability will allow our ships to rely on the electrical grid to power our ships while in port.”

Carnival Conquest’s selection for the inaugural connection at PortMiami comes on the heels of Carnival Corporation surpassing its 2030 shore power goal in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule. The company now claims an industry lead, with 67% of its fleet shoreside power-capable, and says that has twice as many ships able to “plug in” than there are ports equipped to provide shore power.

“Using shoreside electricity to power our ships in port is an integral part of our global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and minimize our environmental footprint,” said Josh Weinstein, chief executive officer of Carnival Corporation & plc. “It’s been over 20 years since our company first pioneered shore power for the cruise industry, yet adoption remains limited to just 2% of cruise ports worldwide. We applaud PortMiami for having the vision to recognize shore power as vital to the future of our industry and the planet, and for being at the forefront of their peer group in delivering this capability to cruise ships.”

Shoreside power, or “cold ironing,” is an efficient way for cruise operators to switch off ship engines while in port and “plug in” to use energy from the local electric grid to power onboard systems and equipment. Using shoreside power can reduce total emissions by up to 98%, depending on the mix of energy sources. Carnival Corporation says that it is committed to connecting to shoreside electricity in port when it is available and operationally feasible and is working closely with ports around the world to prioritize investment 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 “plug in” where port connections to electric power are available.
• Nearly half of its global portfolio of cruise lines operate fleets that are 100%, fully shore power-capable.
• An additional three ships will be outfitted with shore power capabilities this year, and a recent agreement with ABB Group will help install an additional 30 shore power connections onboard Carnival Corporation ships over the next few years.
• Shore power is one of the many emission reduction technologies Carnival Corporation utilizes to reduce fuel use as part of its overall decarbonization strategy and pursuit of net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Thanks to ongoing actions taken to date throughout the fleet, Carnival Corporation is producing 10+% less total GHG emissions today than in 2011, despite increasing capacity by roughly 30% in that time.