MSC World Europe begins sailing in the Mediterranean

MSC Cruises' innovative new ship - MSC World Europa - has arrived in Italy to begin its first summer season in the Mediterranean. Delivered in October 2022 by the French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique, MSC World Europa is MSC Cruises' largest ship and the first to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). MSC World Europe is the best performing large cruise ship in the world in terms of CO2 emissions.

Javier Massignani, Country Manager Argentina and LATAM said: “It is with great pride to welcome MSC World Europe to Europe as it begins its first season in the Mediterranean. This pioneering ship is a testament to our unwavering commitment to sustainable cruising, with a range of unprecedented innovations in terms of environmental and marine technologies. MSC World Europe represents a major step forward on our journey towards meeting our net zero emissions target by 2050.”

The vessel will be powered by LNG throughout the European summer season, with its first bunkering in Marseille scheduled for April 15, 2023. LNG is the cleanest marine fuel currently available on a large scale. Compared to standard marine fuels, LNG virtually eliminates local polluting emissions, including sulfur oxides and fine particulate matter, and reduces nitrogen oxides by up to 85%.

LNG also plays a key role in climate change mitigation, offering up to 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and paving the way for the adoption of sustainable non-fossil fuels such as bio-LNG. and synthetic.

A unique fuel cell technology with promising results

MSC World Europe is the first contemporary cruise ship in the world to incorporate new LNG-powered Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology. The ship includes a 150 kilowatt SOFC demonstrator that uses LNG to produce electricity and heat on board highly efficiently through an electrochemical reaction.

This could be key to unlocking significant environmental sustainability gains in the future. Thanks to this increased efficiency, SOFC has the potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to a conventional LNG engine, without producing nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides or fine particulate emissions. A big advantage is that the cell is not only compatible with LNG, but also with potential new low-carbon fuel sources, such as green methanol, ammonia, liquid hydrogen, and bio-based or synthetic LNG. 

Linden Coppell, MSC Cruises Vice President of Sustainability and ESG, said: "After nearly six months of testing, the performance of the fuel cell has been excellent and we have seen no signs of safety or maintenance issues. Efficiency to date -measured in terms of the power we can generate from the same unit of fuel- is far superior to that of an internal combustion engine and has exceeded our expectations.We have used the system continuously and it has given us consistent output even better than our performance forecast of 150 kilowatts."

Other environmental characteristics

MSC World Europe is equipped with shore power to reduce carbon emissions in port, as well as an Advanced Wastewater Treatment System (AWTS) that meets the world's most stringent regulatory requirements, including the so-called Baltic Standard. . Treats all wastewater produced on board to levels close to those of tap water. The ship also includes a ballast water treatment system that prevents the introduction of invasive species into the marine environment through ballast water discharges, in full compliance with the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention.

The ship has an entire crew team dedicated to applying strict waste management protocols that separate all waste into seven different types, for example glass, aluminum and paper, with specialized equipment to shred or group these types of waste into the ship's waste management facility.
In addition, MSC World Europe has an underwater radiated noise management system to minimize disturbance to marine life and a wide range of energy-efficient equipment on board to optimize the use of engines and the energy needs of the hotels. and further reduce emissions. It is also equipped with enhanced automatic data collection systems for remote power monitoring and advanced analytics, enabling real-time ground support to optimize onboard operational efficiency.

New generation of cruises

During this first summer season in the Mediterranean, customers aboard MSC World Europa will be able to enjoy the ship's extraordinary features and impressive spaces, including the spectacular World Promenade, immersive culinary experiences, state-of-the-art entertainment options and the largest and most action-packed children's area in the MSC Cruises fleet.