Enel collaborates on Italian maritime electrification

Director of Enel for Italy, Nicola Lanzetta, and general manager of Costa Crociere – an Italian cruise line – Mario Zanetti, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop maritime electrification solutions. 

According to Enel, the Italian manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas, the collaboration stems from the belief that cruise transport is, in the maritime sector, the most technologically advanced and the forerunner of low environmental impact solutions.

The agreement will focus promoting projects to reduce emissions when cruise ships enter and leave ports and during quayside stops, utilising electrification solutions to drive the cruise sector’s decarbonisation.

In particular, the agreement aims to see a ship refitting ‘pilot case’; technological improvements on a ship already in operation – aimed at zeroing local emissions when entering, stopping and leaving port, through the installation on the ship of a battery power supply, combined with a shore-side power supply and recharging system.

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The aim of the refitting will be to transform a Costa cruise ship into a zero emission ship from its entry into port until its exit, including the hours it remains stationary on the quayside, in total about half of its operating day.

“We are particularly proud of this agreement between two Italian companies committed to reducing emissions in their respective sectors at European and global level and with a focus on innovation and sustainability,” said Nicola Lanzetta, Enel‘s director for Italy.

A further point of the MoU is to promote sustainable tourism, through the development of initiatives related to sustainable electric mobility, in both the port and city areas.

This will be aimed at progressively reducing noise and atmospheric emissions, including from cruise-related activities such as shore excursions or intermodal connections between cities and ports.

The collaboration can also be extended abroad to the countries where the two groups operate, particularly Spain.