May 23, 2022. MSC World Europa will be the world’s first contemporary cruise vessel to feature brand new solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) developed by MSC Cruises, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Bloom Energy. The ship will include a 150-kilowatt SOFC demonstrator that will generate auxiliary power to deliver efficiency gains and significant CO2 emissions reductions compared to traditional internal combustion engines. It will be a testbed to accelerate the development of fuel cell technology for contemporary cruise ships and offers a potential to enable hybrid propulsion solutions in the future.
Compared to standard marine fuels, LNG nearly eliminates air pollutant emissions, including sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and fine particles, and achieves a CO2 reduction of up to 25%. LNG will also enable the development of low-carbon fuels and solutions such as green hydrogen, Bio-LNG, and fuel cells.
MSC World Europa features a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that reduces NOx emissions by 90% when LNG is not available, and the ship must run on marine gas oil. As LNG fuel achieves a similar reduction, MSC World Europa will always meet International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Tier III NOx emissions standards. On top of this, shore-to-ship power connectivity allows MSC World Europa to minimize engine use at ports where the required infrastructure is available.
As with all new MSC Cruises’ ships, MSC World Europa also features the latest wastewater treatment technology, in compliance with the IMO’s MEPC 227(64) Resolution, fully aligned with the world’s most stringent regulatory requirements – the so-called ‘Baltic Standard’.
These efficiency advances, and the use of LNG, will enable an operational performance far higher that the IMO-required energy design criteria for new ships. MSC World Europa is designed to perform 47% better than it is required Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI).
MSC Cruises has three firm orders for LNG-powered vessels, for delivery between 2022 and 2025, representing an overall investment of over EUR 3 billion. MSC World Europa will be followed by MSC Euribia, which is also currently under construction in Saint Nazaire and set to enter service in 2023. Construction of the third ship is set to commence in early 2023.
