PortMiami is the first major cruise port on the eastern US coast to offer shore power connections across five berths.
Several cruise lines – including Carnival Corporation brands – and Miami-Dade County, Florida Power & Light Company partnered to install the shore power connections.
Cruise lines can switch off shore power-capable ship engines while in port and use energy from the local electric grid to power onboard systems and equipment. Using shore power can reduce total emissions by up to 98%, Carnival Corp said.
Sixty-four ships in Carnival Corp’s fleet are equipped with shore power capabilities, meaning it has twice as many ships able to “plug in” than there are global ports equipped to provide shore power.
Carnival Corp’s chief executive Josh Weinstein said: “Using shoreside electricity to power our ships in port is an integral part of our global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimise our environmental footprint.
"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 recognise 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."
Despite increasing its fleet-wide capacity by around 30% since 2011, Carnival Corp is producing 10% less greenhouse gas emissions today.
