NEWS: MSC Cruises celebrates delivery of MSC World Europa, the world’s largest LNG-powered cruise ship and one of the first to incorporate fuel cell technology.
The ceremony marked the next step in a long-term and successful partnership between the two companies which has resulted in building MSC Cruises’ most innovative and environmentally advanced ship to date. In addition to immediate ground-breaking advances in terms of emissions reduction and energy efficiency, paves the way for the uptake of carbon-neutral synthetic and other alternative fuels as soon as they are available at scale.
MSC Cruises 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 (LNG)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 the potential to enable hybrid propulsion solutions in the future.
Compared to standard marine fuels, LNG nearly eliminates air pollutant emissions like sulphur oxides and fine particles, greatly reduces nitrogen oxides, 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, synthetic-LNG, and fuel cells.
In partnership with the shipyard, has been designed with an innovative hull shape to minimize resistance through the water.
The ship also incorporates a wide range of equipment to optimize energy use throughout the ship. These include smart ventilation and advanced air conditioning systems coupled with automated energy recovery loops, allowing effective distribution of heat and cold across the ship. The ship uses LED lighting throughout, controlled by smart management systems to further enhance the energy saving profile.
It will also be fitted with enhanced automatic data collection systems for remote energy monitoring and advanced analysis, allowing real-time shoreside support to optimize operational efficiency onboard.
These efficiency advances—and the use of LNG—will enable operational performance far higher than the IMO-required energy design criteria for new ships. is designed to perform 47% better than the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) required by regulation.
In addition, 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, will always be ready to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Tier III NOx emissions standards. Like all MSC Cruises’ new builds, the ship is fitted with shore power capability, which minimizes engine use at ports where the required infrastructure is available.
Boasting future-proof marine and onboard hospitality technologies, will redefine the cruise experience with a variety of never-before-seen concepts and creative areas unlike anything at sea today. The ground-breaking design features a Y-shaped aft structure that leads to the nearly 350-foot-long Europa Promenade, which is half open and half covered and offers breathtaking ocean views. Brand new balcony cabins overlook the stunning promenade, which features a striking architectural centerpiece in the form of , an 11-deck-high slide which is the longest at sea.
Other “firsts” include a micro-brewery, gin bar, healthy juice bar, coffee emporium and tea-house. The ship has 13 dining venues, including two new specialty restaurant experiences—the seafood-focused La Pescaderia and seasonal farm-to-ocean cooking of Chef’s Garden Kitchen.
The name of the second World Class ship — World America — was revealed during the vessel’s steel cutting ceremony, at which MSC Cruises announced she is destined for North America upon entering service in 2025. This is further proof of the line’s commitment to deploy its newest vessels to the North American cruise market and to provide U.S guests with a ship and experience that is tailored to them. MSC World America will become the fourth new flagship to be deployed in the region.
*Based on EEDI index in grams of CO2 per nautical miles and gross tonnage.
MSC World Europa details:
- Gross Tonnage – 215,863
- Length – 1093.5 ft
- Width – 154 ft
- Height – 223 ft
- Passenger cabins – 2,622
- Passenger Capacity – 6,762
- 5 Wärtsilä 14V 46DF engines dual-fuel engines, that can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and on low-sulphur marine gasoil (MGO)
- 150-kW solid oxide fuel cell demonstrator
- Selective catalytic reduction system that reduces NOx emissions by 90% when the ship runs on MGO (LNG offers a similar NOx reduction); MSC World Europa is capable of meeting IMO’s Tier III standards regardless of the fuel it uses
- Shore-to-ship power connectivity, allowing the ship to switch off engines at ports where shore-to-ship power infrastructure is available
- Advanced wastewater treatment system complying with the most stringent standards on IMO’s MEPC 227(64) Resolution (the so-called Baltic Standard)
- Ballast water treatment system with UV treatment to prevent the introduction of invasive species in the marine environment through ballast water discharges, in compliance with IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention
The hull and engine room designs minimize acoustic sound impact, reducing their potential effects on marine fauna, most particularly on marine mammals in the surrounding waters.
All MSC Cruises’ newbuilds incorporate a wide range of energy efficient equipment that help reduce and optimize engine use. These include smart ventilation and advanced air conditioning systems with automated energy recovery loops that redistribute heat and cold to reduce demand. The ships use LED lighting throughout the ship controlled by smart management systems to enhance further the energy saving profile. In partnership with the shipyard, MSC World Europa has been designed with an innovative hull shape to minimize resistance through the water and it will be fitted with automatic data collection systems for remote energy monitoring and advanced analysis, allowing real-time shoreside support to optimize operational efficiency onboard.
MSC Cruises comprises 19 modern vessels combined with a sizeable future global investment portfolio of new vessels and is projected to grow to 23 cruise ships by 2025 with options for six more vessel orders in place through 2030.
Meanwhile the luxury brand, Explora Journeys, is set to start operating in 2023 with a fleet with the latest and most advanced environmental and maritime technologies available. The first of which will have a gross tonnage of 63,900 GT and feature 461 of the largest suites at sea, all with ocean front terraces. These luxury ships will introduce to the luxury segment a broad range of new guest experiences and other activities as well as generous ratios of public spaces, in addition to showcasing highly innovative design. For further information about Explora Journeys please see here.
Source: MSC Cruises
