October 24, 2022. The Cruise Division of MSC Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique celebrated the delivery of MSC World Europa, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered cruise ship and one of the first to incorporate fuel cell technology. On top of immediate ground-breaking advances in terms of reduction of emissions and energy efficiency, MSC World Europa also paves the way towards the uptake of carbon-neutral synthetic and other alternative fuels as soon as they are available at scale.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: “We are proud to welcome to our fleet MSC World Europa, our 20th ship and the first to be LNG-powered. This groundbreaking vessel represents the next phase in our journey toward net zero and sustainable cruising and a symbol of our unwavering commitment to both.”
Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said: “We have reached a new stage in the cruise industry with MSC World Europa, the largest ship ever built for a European shipowner. She is equipped with all the latest technologies to offer the passengers an unprecedented cruising experience. From a technological standpoint MSC World Europa, which is equipped with a LNG propulsion system, present a new level of performance and efficiency of the cruise industry. This represents a major milestone in minimizing emissions as MSC World Europa is the least emitting ship of the entire cruise industry.”
MSC World Europa is the world’s first contemporary cruise ship to feature brand new solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology powered by liquefied natural gas. The ship will include a 150-kilowatt SOFC demonstrator that will use LNG to produce electricity and heat on board in a highly efficient way by means of an electrochemical reaction. 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.
