KfW IPEX-Bank finances AIDA cruise ships - KfW IPEX-Bank heading two banking syndicates to provide financing for the ships - Energy-efficient ships according to the "Green Ship Approach"

Frankfurt am Main (ots) - On Friday agreements were signed for the
financing of two cruise ships of the AIDA fleet for the world's
largest cruise company Carnival Corporation & plc. The financing was
provided through two banking syndicates of four and six banks
respectively, each headed by KfW IPEX-Bank. Both ships are built by
Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, whereas the AIDAbella had been put
into service in 2008, already.

The AIDA vessels are highly energy-efficient cruise ships which,
through the installation of innovative technology, substantially
advance the "Green Ship Approach". As an example, the
energy-efficient lighting system for the newest ship contributes to
the reduction in CO2 emissions by up to 3,000 tonnes per year, in
addition to a considerable reduction of pollutant emissions through
newly developed propulsion engines. The newest ship of the AIDA fleet
was ordered from Meyer Werft in summer 2010 and is to be delivered in
the first half of 2013.

"As one of the worldwide leading ship financiers we have once
again succeeded in proving our structuring competence in the cruise
ship sector. We are pleased to continue our trustful cooperation with
the world's largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation & plc. At
the same time, we are contributing to the development of Green Ships
through the financing of energy-efficient cruise ships developed by
Meyer Werft in northern Germany", said Dr Carsten Wiebers, head of
the Ship Finance department at KfW IPEX-Bank.

Along with KfW IPEX-Bank, the syndicate for financing the
AIDAbella consists of Citibank Europe plc, Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd.
and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. The AIDA vessel that is to be
delivered in 2013 will be financed by a syndicate made up of Banca
Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A., BNP Paribas, DnB Nor Bank, Lloyds TSB
Bank plc and Société Générale, and headed by KfW IPEX-Bank. The
loans, which amount to EUR 175.5 million and EUR 239.2 million
respectively, are Hermes covered OECD compliant financings.

Two photos of the already completed AIDAbella are available in the
press section on the Homepage of KfW IPEX-Bank under "Material for
the press -> photos".

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in
the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America,
Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines,
Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa
Cruises, Cunard Line, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises and P&O Cruises
Australia. Together, these brands operate 98 ships totaling more
than 191,000 lower berths with 10 new ships scheduled to be delivered
between March 2011 and May 2014. Carnival Corporation & plc also
operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour
company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York
and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only
group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE
100 indices.

The Meyer Werft shipyard is a family-owned operation in the sixth
generation, building ships for over 215 years. The shipyard has a
long tradition and builds modern cruise ships for customers from all
over the world, and it is the most important employer in the
Papenburg region.

About KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH

Within KfW Bankengruppe KfW IPEX-Bank is in charge of
international project and export finance. It is responsible for
providing financing to support the German and European economy, a
task derived from the legal mandate assigned to KfW Bankengruppe. Its
prime focus is on medium- and long-term lending to boost the export
economy, develop economic and social infrastructure and support
environmental and climate protection projects. KfW IPEX-Bank operates
as a legally independent group subsidiary and plays a major role in
fulfilling the promotional mission of KfW Bankengruppe. It has
approx. 521 employees (as of 31 December 2009) and is represented in
the key economic and financial centres throughout the globe.

Originaltext: KfW-IPEX-Bank
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Contact:
KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, Palmengartenstraße 5-9, 60325 Frankfurt
Pressestelle: E-Mail: presse.ipex@kfw.de
Tel.: 069 7431-3300, Fax: 069 7431-9409,
E-Mail: info@kfw-ipex-bank.de, Internet: www.kfw-ipex-bank.de