MSC Cruises adds LNG fuel cell-powered vessel to its fleet

Italian cruise line MSC Cruises has taken delivery of a new LNG-fuelled cruise ship from French shipbuilding company Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

PHOTO: The LNG fuel cell-powered cruise ship MSC World Europa. MSC Cruises

The MSC World Europa, will run on a 150-kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) engine fuelled by LNG. SOFC is an electrochemical conversion device that produces electricity directly from oxidising a fuel.

The company claims the cruise vessel will be the world’s largest LNG-fuelled cruise ship. It also says that LNG significantly reduces emissions of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and fine particles, and can lower carbon dioxide emissions by up to 25% compared to conventional marine fuels.

The vessel is also equipped to run on conventional marine gasoil if LNG is not available, and has shore power capability to minimise engine usage in ports where these electrical power facilities are available.

According to Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, the company “chose LNG for the very clear reason that it is the cleanest marine fuel currently available at scale.”

This vessel will join a relatively small global fleet LNG-fuelled cruise vessels. Shipping classification society DNV data shows there are only 39 LNG-fuelled cruise vessels in operation or on order today.

However, shipowners in other shipping segments have increasingly been adopting LNG as an alternative fuel to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

This month, Norwegian ro-ro shipping line United European Car Carriers (UECC) said it has taken delivery of its third LNG-battery hybrid car and truck carrier from Jiangnan Shipyard in China.

Also in this month, Greek ship owner Minerva Gas has taken delivery of a new LNG carrier with a dual-fuel engine from South Korean shipbuilders Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in Geoje, South Korea.

By Tuhin Roy

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