Valletta, Malta – Onshore Power Supply – Power Purchase Agreement
Carnival UK & P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow was in Malta on the 17th March to sign a Shore Power Agreement with the company’s partners in the home port of Malta, on behalf of Carnival Corporation & Plc, many of whose 9 cruise lines including P&O Cruises, Cunard, AIDA, Costa, Holland America, Seabourn and Princess Cruises regularly call at Malta. This agreement is a first for the Mediterranean cruise region.
The introduction of fully electrified cruise berths in Valletta and the signing of this long-term agreement reflects a mutual commitment towards more energy-efficient cruising.
P&O Cruises, along with sister cruise lines within Carnival Corporation have made significant investment to retrofit their ships, enabling connection to shore power when available and operationally feasible.
Carnival Corporation pioneered shore power in the cruise industry as part of their strategy to improve air quality and reduce emissions and today roughly two-thirds of their global fleet can plug in to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), other emissions and noise in port where connections to electric power are available.
P&O Cruises home ports every week in Valletta during the summer season as part of its Europe Fly programme which facilitates fly-cruise itineraries in the Western, Central and Eastern Mediterranean and is a significant source of tourism in Malta. Prior to the start of this 2025 season, P&O Cruises Azura underwent a drydock refit in its home port of Valletta. Azura will then be fully equipped and ready to connect with shore power systems worldwide.
The signing of the shore power agreement on the 17th of March was a celebration of an important milestone on this journey. Through these actions and together with the valued relationships nurtured, CUK is helping to advance sustainable tourism in Malta that delivers economic, cultural and social value for the wider community.
I was invited to this event together with Michela Mifsud, my daughter and Director of Mifsud Brothers Ltd. and Massimo Schembri, Managing Director of our sister company specialising in port operations for cruise ships and Super Yachts. We were very proud to be there, representing a cruise line group that is at the forefront of sustainability. Last year, in our desire to pivot to sustainable tourism, we started aligning our services to specific guideline, which led to us being accepted as a Travelife Recognised destination management company. This year, our reinforced Sustainability Project Team, led by Petra Galea Debono and Naomi Mifsud and Siwei Xia, we are working towards certification, which not an easy feat. This is a journey that we voluntarily chose to take, well before it became apparent that this is the road towards responsible tourism. As a family run business (since 1860) we have it ingrained in us to lead by example, even if initially it may not be immediately financially viable. My late father used to often tell me “bitter pills have sweet effect”.
