Carnival Corporation inaugurated its Helix cruise center at the Port of Barcelona that will accommodate the company’s cruise ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The terminal covering 12,500 square meters cost €46 million ($54.9 million) represents Carnival Corporation’s largest combined terminal investment in Europe, the company said in a statement.
Eight brands from Carnival Corporation, AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Cruises (UK), visit Barcelona throughout the year, with six of those eight brands operating full or partial homeporting in Barcelona in 2018.
The new terminal is also in line with Port of Barcelona’s plan proposed in 2016 to reduce emissions from port activities as Carnival Corporation’s LNG-fueled ships will call at the terminal.
Last year, Barcelona became the first cruise port in the Mediterranean with facilities to supply cruise ships with LNG.
In total, Carnival Corporation currently has agreements in place to build nine fully LNG-powered cruise ships across four of its nine global cruise brands in coming years.