TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and MSC Group’s cruise division have completed the first LNG bulking operation at the port of Marseille Fos for MSC Cruises’ MSC World Europe.
MSC World Europa, delivered in October 2022 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at the Saint Nazaire shipyard in France, is 333 meters long and, according to TotalEnergies, the world’s best-performing large cruise ship in terms of CO2eq emissions per passenger .
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels chartered LNG bunker barge Gas Vitality replenished the MSC Cruises vessel with a ship-to-ship transfer of 2,500 cubic meters of LNG in port on April 22, while guest operations they continued as normal, according to the company’s statement. .
The transaction marks the start of the previously announced LNG bunker supply contract between TotalEnergies and MSC Group’s cruise division in March 2021, as part of their respective decarbonisation plans. Under the agreement, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels will supply approximately 45,000 tonnes per year of LNG to MSC Cruises ships in Marseille.
“We are delighted to support MSC Group’s cruise division on its decarbonisation journey and help the Port of Marseille Fos to become an LNG bunkering hub for the Mediterranean region,” said Philippe Charleux, senior vice president of lubricants and specialties at TotalEnergies.
“This operation also expands our LNG supply capabilities to the cruise segment, demonstrating our ability to serve a wider range of shipping customers as the industry strives to reduce emissions. According to the “TotalEnergies’ climate ambition, we will continue to work together with our industry partners to develop and expand new low-carbon and ultimately zero-carbon fuel solutions for shipping,” he added.
“This first LNG bunkering operation in Marseille is an important milestone for our company as we welcome MSC World Europa for its first summer season in the Mediterranean. With a series of unprecedented innovations in in terms of environmental and marine technologies, MSC World Europa represents a major step forward on our way to achieving our goal of net zero emissions by 2050. LNG is not only the cleanest marine fuel currently available at scale, but also a transition fuel as we look forward to sourcing and using synthetic LNG or other carbon-free alternative fuels as soon as they become available at scale,” added Patrick Pourbaix, CEO of MSC Cruises in France.
Marine LNG dramatically reduces ship emissions and significantly improves air quality, particularly when docked for the benefit of port cities and coastal communities, TotalEnergies noted. It also paves the way for all Mediterranean ports to comply with new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations coming into force in 2025, as part of their new Emissions Control Area (ECA) designation ), the company added.
TotalEnergies said LNG as a marine fuel helps reduce sulfur emissions and fine particulate emissions by 99 percent, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85 percent and greenhouse gas emissions greenhouse by 20 percent.
When MSC World Europa was delivered, the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard cut steel for a sister ship called MSC World America which will be the second LNG ship in the MSC Cruises fleet. It is scheduled to enter service in 2025.
In addition, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has actively invested in LNG bunkering infrastructure, which the company describes as critical to supporting the decarbonisation ambitions of its shipping customers through the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel.
The company currently leases two 18,600 cubic meter LNG bunker vessels: Gas Agility in the port of Rotterdam and Gas Vitality in the port of Marseille-Fos. Since the start of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, Gas Agility and Gas Vitality have completed more than a hundred LNG bunkering operations, the company noted in its statement.
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