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TotalEnergies Marine Fuels completes first LNG bunkering op for “MSC World Europa”

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TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ chartered LNG bunker barge “Gas Vitality” refuelled the MSC Cruises vessel via a ship-to-ship transfer of 2,500 m3 of LNG at Port of Marseille Fos on 22 April.
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TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and the Cruise Division of MSC Group on Wednesday (26 April) said they have successfully completed the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering operation at the Port of Marseille Fos, Southern France, for MSC Cruises’ MSC World Europa.

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ chartered LNG bunker barge Gas Vitality refuelled the MSC Cruises vessel via a ship-to-ship transfer of 2,500 m3 of LNG at the port on 22 April, while guest operations continued as normal. 

MSC World Europa, which was delivered in October 2022 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at the Saint Nazaire shipyard in France, is 333 metres long.

The operation marks the start of the previously announced LNG bunker supply contract between TotalEnergies and the Cruise Division of MSC Group in March 2021, as the companies drive forward their respective decarbonisation plans. Under the agreement, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels will supply approximately 45,000 tonnes per year of LNG to MSC Cruises’ vessels at Marseille.

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“We are excited to support the Cruise Division of MSC Group in their decarbonisation journey and to help the Port of Marseille Fos become an LNG bunker hub for the Mediterranean region,” said Philippe Charleux – Senior Vice President Lubricants and Specialties, TotalEnergies. 

“This operation also expands our LNG bunkering capabilities to the cruise ship segment, demonstrating our ability to serve a broader range of shipping clients, as the industry strives to reduce emissions. In line with TotalEnergies’ Climate ambition, we will continue to work hand-in-hand with our industry partners to develop and scale up new, lower-carbon and ultimately, zero-carbon fuel solutions for shipping.”

Patrick Pourbaix, Managing Director of MSC Cruises in France, said: “This first LNG bunkering operation in Marseille is an important milestone for our company as we welcome MSC World Europa for her first summer season in the Mediterranean. Featuring 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.”

“LNG is not only the cleanest marine fuel currently available at scale, but also a transitional fuel as we look ahead to source and use synthetic LNG or other alternative non-carbon fuels as soon as they become available at scale.”

The company currently charters two 18,600-m3 LNG bunker vessels: Gas Agility, at the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands; and  Gas Vitality, at the Port of Marseille- Fos, France.

Related: TotalEnergies and MOL names France’s first LNG bunkering vessel “Gas Vitality”
Related: Interview: Vice President of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels takes helm of firm’s decarbonisation route
Related: CMA CGM and TotalEnergies in first ship-to-containership LNG bunkering op at Marseille

 

Photo credit: TotalEnergies Marine Fuels
Published: 27 April, 2023

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