MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l'Atlantique celebrate a double event

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l'Atlantique have announced that in on board MSC World Europe will be installed a system experimental fuel cell known as Blue Horizon. This innovative technology will use natural gas liquefied to convert fuel into electricity with one of the highest efficiencys available to date, thus producing electricity and heat on board. It is the first time an LNG-powered fuel cell will used on board a cruise ship. The new technology of fuel cell chosen by MSC Cruises and Chantiers de the Atlantique, developed by Bloom Energy, is called SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) and is able to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by an additional 30% compared to an engine powered by conventional LNG, without nitrogen oxide emissions, of sulphur oxide and fine particulate matter. In addition to LNG, this technology has the advantage of being compatible with others low-carbon fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen, thus representing the basis of departure for future adoptions on a larger scale.

"Today - highlighted the president executive of MSC Cruises, Pierfrancesco Vago - represents a further and fundamental stage of our journey aimed at achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 our maritime activities. The construction of these two ships, which requires billions of euros of investments, therefore always makes our vision of a cruise industry is more concrete zero emissions. Liquefied natural gas, which represents the cleaner fuel currently available on a large scale on the market, it is at the forefront of the crucial transition ecological that we are facing».

During the ceremony the president of Chantiers de The Atlantique, Laurent Castaing, recalled that these ships are the fifteenth and sixteenth that the navalmeccanica company French builds for MSC Cruises, thus demonstrating the excellent collaboration between the two groups since the 90s.

Following today's technical launch, MSC World Europe will now be transferred to the dry dock for the completion of the works scheduled for November 2022. The ship will welcome its first guests starting from the following month and will spend its inaugural season in the region of Persian Gulf for seven-night cruises departing dubai to the nearby metropolis of Abu Dhabi, on Sir Bani Yas Island, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, visiting the oasis of Al Ahsa, a heritage site UNESCO World Cup, and Doha, the futuristic capital of Qatar, before returning to Dubai for a night on the town. Starting from Dubai on March 25, 2023, MSC World Europe will head towards the Mediterranean Sea. In the summer of 2023 it will offer seven-night cruises touching the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples and Messina, as well as Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France.