Southampton soon to be welcoming £55m environmentally-friendly cruise terminal
The building of the new cruise terminal in Southampton has begun in preparation for its opening later this year.
The cruise industry has been halted by the coronavirus pandemic but has always been vital to Southampton’s economy. Southampton’s port currently supports 15,000 jobs and contributes around £1bn to the UK economy.
Councillor Steve Leggett, the cabinet member for green city and place, said: “The new cruise port represents a £55m investment in the city which will bring jobs and increased business activity, plus an increase in visitors coming to Southampton from not just around the UK but worldwide.”
This will be the fifth cruise terminal at the port but the first that will be benefiting from roof-mounted solar panels and have Shore Power installed.
Martin Wilkins, the chief security officer on board the Queen Victoria, said the cruise industry has to show that it is environmentally friendly and sustainable “to maintain a successful future for cruising”.
Associated British Ports (ABP) said that this commitment to sustainable operations will enable cruise ships, with the right onboard technology, to ‘plug-in’ while they are alongside.
When Southampton published its green city charter, which commits them to reduce pollution and waste, ABP was one of the founding signatures. The ‘plug-in’ technology will allow cruise ships to switch off the engines when idling, which means there will be no pollution coming out of them, reducing their impact on the environment.
They are also introducing new ships with lower sulphur and emission fuel. When asked about the arrival of the new P&O ships later this year, Cllr Legget said: “I welcome new green technology being introduced into new ships to reduce their emissions.”
