MSC Cruises’ first LNG-fuelled vessel “MSC World Europa” arrives in Europe
- Published
by Admin
MSC Cruises on Wednesday (12 April) said its first vessel to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) – MSC World Europa – has arrived in Europe to commence her first summer season in the Mediterranean.
The ship will be powered by LNG throughout the summer season, with her first bunkering in Marseille scheduled on 15 April 2023.
Delivered in October 2022 by French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the vessel is MSC Cruises’ largest vessel and the first to be powered by LNG.
MSC World Europa is the best performing large cruise ship operating in the world in terms of CO2eq emissions per passenger, the firm said in a statement.
An MSC spokesperson, said: “It is with great pride that we welcome MSC World Europa in Europe as she starts her first summer season in the Mediterranean. This groundbreaking vessel is a testimony of our unwavering commitment to sustainable cruising, with a range of unprecedented innovations in terms of environmental and marine technologies.”
“MSC World Europa represents a major step forward on our journey towards meeting our target of net-zero emissions by 2050.”
The company said the vessel is the world’s first contemporary cruise ship to feature brand new solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology powered by LNG.
The ship includes a 150-kilowatt SOFC demonstrator that uses LNG to produce electricity and heat on board in a highly efficient way by means of an electrochemical reaction.
Linden Coppell, Vice President of Sustainability & ESG at MSC Cruises, said: “Nearly six months into testing, the fuel cell performance has been excellent, and we haven’t seen any signs of safety or maintenance issues.”
“The efficiency to date – measured in terms of the energy we can generate from the same unit of fuel – is well above that of an internal combustion engine and has exceeded our expectations. We have operated the system continually and it has delivered a steady output even better than our forecast 150-kilowatt return.”
“Obviously, this is a small fraction of the energy we need but we are confident that the system can be scaled up on future newbuilds. We recognise that this will requires close collaboration with partners across and outside of our industry, which is why MSC Cruises is actively involved in several different research initiatives and partnerships that all share the common objective of accelerating the transition toward a net-zero future.”
Photo credit: MSC Cruises
Published: 17 April, 2023
