TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and the Cruise Division of MSC Group have successfully completed the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering operation at the Port of Marseille Fos, Southern France, for MSC Cruises’ MSC World Europa, according to the company's release.
MSC World Europa, which was delivered in October 2022 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at the Saint Nazaire shipyard in France, is 333 meters long and the best performing large cruise ship operating in the world in terms of CO2eq emissions per passenger.
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ chartered LNG bunker barge, the Gas Vitality, refuelled the MSC Cruises vessel via a ship-to-ship transfer of 2 500 m3 of LNG at the port on April 22nd, while guest operations continued as normal. The successful execution of these simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) underscores TotalEnergies’ Marine Fuels ability to safely deliver commercial LNG bunkering operations.
The operation marks the start of the previously announced LNG bunker supply contract between TotalEnergies and the Cruise Division of MSC Group in March 2021, as the companies drive forward their respective decarbonization plans. Under the agreement, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels will supply approximately 45,000 tons per year of LNG to MSC Cruises’ vessels at Marseille.
TotalEnergies is the world’s third largest LNG player with a market share of around 12% and a global portfolio of about 50 Mt/y thanks to its interests in liquefaction plants in all geographies. The company benefits from an integrated position across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, access to nearly 20 Mt/y of regasification capacity in Europe, trading, and LNG bunkering. TotalEnergies’ ambition is to increase the share of natural gas in its sales mix close to 50% by 2030, to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate methane emissions associated with the gas value chain, and to work with local partners to promote the transition from coal to natural gas.
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is TotalEnergies’ dedicated business unit in charge of worldwide bunkering activities. A long-term partner to the global shipping industry, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels serves more than 200 shipping customers across over 130 ports in Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. Its headquarters is located in Singapore, with two satellite offices in Paris and Geneva.
MSC World Europa is the world’s first contemporary cruise ship to feature brand new solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology powered by LNG. The ship includes a 150-kilowatt SOFC demonstrator that uses LNG to produce electricity and heat on board in a highly efficient way by means of an electrochemical reaction.
MSC World Europa is equipped with shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port, as well as with an advanced wastewater treatment system (AWTS) that meets the world’s highest regulatory requirements, including the so-called Baltic standard.
It treats all wastewater produced onboard to close to tap water standards. The ship also includes a ballast water treatment system that prevents the introduction of invasive species in the marine environment through ballast water discharges, in full compliance with IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention.
The vessel has an entire team of crew dedicated to implementing the strict waste management protocols which separate all wastes into seven distinct types, for example, glass, plastic, aluminum and paper, with specialised equipment to crush or bundle these waste types in the ship’s waste management facility.
In addition, MSC World Europa features underwater radiated noise management system to minimise disturbance to marine life and a comprehensive range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use and hotel energy needs to reduce emissions further. It is also fitted with enhanced automatic data collection systems for remote energy monitoring and advanced analysis, allowing real-time shoreside support to optimise operational efficiency onboard.
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity.
The Cruise Division of MSC Group, privately held Swiss-based shipping and logistics conglomerate with over 300 years of maritime heritage, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has two distinct brands within its structure - the contemporary and luxury brands.