Carnival Corporation is advancing its commitment to shore power infrastructure in Alaska with a major electrification project in Whittier, the company said in a press release.

As construction progresses, Carnival stated it will be able to shut down the engines of its vessels during their visits to the port starting in 2027.

Developed in partnership with the State of Alaska, Chugach Electric Association and Carnival Corporation, the project will allow Holland America Line and Princess Cruises vessels that operate in Whittier to use electricity from the local grid.

Carnival said that the project for the port includes electrical system upgrades, the installation of voltage step-down equipment near the cruise dock, and shore power connections to support EV charging.

Construction began in 2023 with $12 million in combined funding from the State of Alaska, Holland America Line and Chugach Electric Association.

Key equipment, including transformers and capacitor banks, has been delivered and infrastructure work is progressing toward completion in 2027.

“Shore power remains an essential part of our decarbonization strategy as we pursue net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from our ship operations by 2050,” said Robert Morgenstern, senior vice president for Princess and Holland America’s Alaska operations.

“Alaska’s natural beauty is central to our guests’ experience, and this infrastructure investment demonstrates our shared commitment to protecting the environments we visit. It also reaffirms a partnership that dates back more than two decades to when we pioneered the cruise industry’s first shore power project with Juneau,” he added.

Carnival Corporation stated it was the first company to adopt shore power in the cruise industry over 20 years ago.

In 2001, Princess Cruises partnered with the City and Borough of Juneau to electrify Franklin Dock, creating the world’s first power-equipped shore cruise terminal.

The company added that it now leads the industry with 74% of its fleet fully equipped to use shore power technology when available.

Nearly half of the company’s brands have 100% shore-power-capable fleets, with plans to install additional shore-power connections fleetwide over the next several years.

The Whittier project follows a series of initiatives by Carnival to introduce shore power to more ports.

Most recently, the company’s AIDA Cruises brand became the first to plug into landside electrical power in Rotterdam and Copenhagen, marking the 13th and 14th cruise ports in Europe where the company’s ships use the technology.

In the U.S., the Carnival Conquest marked the first cruise ship to connect to new shore power infrastructure at PortMiami in 2024, which became the first major cruise port on the U.S. eastern seaboard offering shore power connections at five cruise berths.