With a continued commitment to environmental sustainability, MSC Cruises announces its first successful connection to shore power in the port of Valetta, Malta – the first operational shore power facility in the Mediterranean.
The line is committed to the use of shore power wherever it’s available as it is an integral part of MSC’s journey towards net zero greenhouse gas emission operations by 2050. Using shore power allows a ship to connect to the local power grid and removes the need to keep a ship’s engine running, which eliminates direct emissions while the vessel is connected in port.
MSC Cruises performed the first tests earlier this year at Valletta and the experience contributed to refining the shore power implementation process. MSC World Europa will now connect to the shore power facilities while calling in Valetta.
Since 2017, every new ship joining the MSC Cruises fleet has been equipped with a shore power connection and plans are underway to retrofit ships. As more ports introduce shore power facilities, the line has been able to increase the number of port calls utilizing shore power electricity.
The historic connection in Valetta follows the recent successful connections in Northern Europe – including Warnemünde in Germany, the Norwegian ports at Bergen, Aalesund and Haugesund, and Southampton in the UK. Earlier this year, MSC Cruises inaugurated the new shore power facility in Kiel, Germany.
MSC Cruises plans to add at least 15 new ports to its shore power plan between 2024 and 2026, focusing on Italian ports such as Genoa, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples and Trieste. Other prominent ports with shore power capabilities include Barcelona, Hamburg, Valencia, Marseille, Copenhagen, and the new cruise terminal in Miami.
Acknowledging the importance of collaboration with ports and regions in achieving sustainable maritime practices, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance shore power facilities in the Baltic Sea area. Similar commitments are being pursued with other ports in the Mediterranean Sea.
Michele Francioni, SVP Cost Optimisation & Process Improvement, MSC Cruises, said, “Our shore power plan demonstrates that we are fully committed to reducing emissions from our ships. Using shore power is a major step forward because it allows us to eliminate a ship’s direct emissions whilst berthed. We need more ports across Europe and beyond to introduce shore power as quickly as possible so that we can further reduce local air emissions.”
He added, “We will ensure our ships are ready to connect wherever the facilities are available to us. Connecting MSC World Europa to the shore power in Valletta is a proud achievement and we are grateful for the collaboration and excellent cooperation with Transport Malta, Infrastructure Malta and the Maltese authorities, as well as with the Cruise Port of Valetta.”
MSC World Europa was MSC Cruises’ first vessel to be powered by liquefied natural gas. The vessel is also among the first contemporary cruise ships to incorporate solid oxide fuel cell technology, with trial tests showing very promising results.
