Aida Cruises, the German unit in the Carnival Corp & plc group, will invest up to €100 million in environmental protection between now and the year 2016.

 The two 125,000 gross ton newbuildings of AIDA Cruises in Germany has on order at mItsubishi in Japan will be fitted with comprehensive exhaust gas filters, the company said in a statement. However, AIDAcara, which was built in 1996 and which is the oldest ship of Aida fleet, will be retrofitted with the system already this October. 

"With this till now unique technology for the waste gas follow-up treatment we can filter all three emissions - soot particles, nitric oxides and sulphur oxides - for the first time and therefore reduce between 90% and 99% This comprehensive filter concept is a milestone for AIDA Cruises but also for the cruise industry, altogether," said Michael Ungerer, president of AIDA Cruises.

The plant, developed within the Carnival Corp & plc  group for the treatment of the waste gases, backs a new technology with a particularly compact style which for the first time makes it possible to put all substantial treatments of sewage technically. Nitric oxides are bound in a catalyst and soot and fuel delays precipitated in a filter. The sulphur oxides are removed without addition of chemicals in a launderer.