MSC Cruises is intensifying its investments in solutions such as bio-LNG, biofuels, and shore power for cruise ships, while company executives point out that achieving the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 requires a global regulatory framework, sufficient production of sustainable fuels, and stronger economic incentives for shipping.
In an interview with “Naftemporiki”, the Chief Energy Transition Officer of MSC Cruises, Michele Francioni, states that LNG is not the final destination of the cruise industry’s energy transition, but is the necessary transitional fuel that will gradually lead to the use of renewable fuels and the achievement of the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
As he explains, the company has already moved from theory to practice, systematically investing in renewable fuels.
A milestone was the voyage of MSC Euribia in 2023, using bio-LNG and achieving net-zero emissions, an experience that led the company to partnerships with producers and suppliers in order to secure sufficient quantities of renewable fuels and to begin their use on a wider scale from 2025.
According to Mr. Francioni, for ships with dual-fuel engines, bio-LNG is currently the most practical and cost-effective solution, as it offers among the highest emission reduction potential among commercially available renewable fuels.
Furthermore, it can be distributed through the existing European natural gas network using the mass balance system, without requiring new infrastructure.
In 2025, MSC Cruises used 6,856 tons of bio-LNG, produced from sustainable raw materials such as food waste, whey, organic waste, sludge from biological treatment plants, and, mainly, animal manure, which accounted for more than two-thirds of the energy base of the raw materials. This specific raw material offers a particular environmental benefit, as it captures methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, while also producing organic fertilizer for agriculture.
For ships that still use conventional fuels, the company utilizes renewable diesel biofuels. A characteristic example is the four-month trial using 100% hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in one of the engines of MSC Opera, without any technical modification or blending with conventional fuel. At the same time, MSC Seaview used HVO and biodiesel from used cooking oils blended with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). Overall, the use of renewable fuels in 2025 led to a reduction of approximately 48,700 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent on a well-to-wake life cycle analysis basis.
Michele Francioni characterizes LNG as a transitional but absolutely necessary fuel. As he notes, even in its conventional form, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and significantly limits atmospheric pollutants such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.
He points out that the true strategic value of LNG lies in the fact that dual-fuel engine technology:
1. Allows for the direct use of renewable fuels, such as bio-LNG and biodiesel, with the potential to achieve very significant emission reductions.
2. Leverages existing global infrastructure, accelerating the potential for their widespread application and development.
It supports a realistic energy transition pathway, allowing for the gradual increase in the use of renewable energy sources over time.
“We do not consider LNG the final destination of this pathway. However, the dual-fuel engine technology that supports it offers us the necessary flexibility to choose the most cost-effective renewable fuels, as these become available on the market, and to gradually increase their use over time. In this way, we can proceed with realistic and practical steps towards our long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050,” he notes.
Referring to the biggest challenges of the energy transition, the Head of Energy Transition at MSC Cruises points out that the main obstacle is no longer technology, but the lack of a unified global regulatory framework for shipping to reduce its emissions.
Although the European Union, through FuelEU Maritime, has created a clear framework for reducing the carbon intensity of marine fuels, attention must turn to the development of effective financial mechanisms and incentives that will help both fuel users and producers bridge the cost gap between conventional fossil fuels and renewable fuels.
He emphasizes that a mosaic of regional and national regulations is not enough to achieve the industry’s collective ambition for decarbonization, as for an international sector like shipping, the adoption of effective measures at a global level is a key prerequisite for maintaining progress and successfully implementing the energy transition.
He notes that European environmental policies are already significantly influencing the company’s strategy. FuelEU Maritime was a key driver for increasing investments in renewable fuels, with MSC Cruises conducting, in 2025, bunkering of nearly 10,000 metric tons of bio-LNG, HVO, and other renewable fuels. Conversely, the EU ETS, while creating a strong economic incentive for reducing emissions, increases the fleet’s operational costs, with only a very small portion of the system’s revenues currently being returned to finance shipping’s green transition. The company estimates that the revision of the system should provide for greater reinvestment of related revenues in innovative technologies and the production of renewable fuels.
Referring to the main challenge of today, Mr. Francioni states that, although sustainable marine fuels already exist, they are not yet available at the scale required to support the industry’s overall energy transition at an economically viable cost.
It further argues that accelerating the energy transition requires close cooperation across the entire value chain, including fuel producers, ports, regulatory authorities and industry bodies, with the aim of increasing production, developing the necessary infrastructure and improving the economic accessibility of sustainable fuels.
MSC Cruises, in 2025, used more than 9,800 tons of renewable fuels, achieving a reduction in emissions of approximately 48,700 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2).
Of this quantity, 6,856 tons concerned bio-LNG used by MSC World Europa, through the European mass balance system.
The shipping group is also expanding its investments in shore power for ships. Today, 18 of its 23 fleet vessels already have this capability, while by the end of 2026 this number will increase to 19. At the level of the group’s total cruise division, 22 out of 27 ships, including three from Explora Journeys, will be able to connect to shore power. In 2025 alone, 217 shore power connections were made, compared to 142 in 2024 and 44 in 2023, demonstrating the gradual development of relevant infrastructure in ports.
In the fleet using conventional fuels, MSC Cruises has utilized various types of renewable diesel fuels. A characteristic example is the successful trial use of 100% pure hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), without blending with other fuels, for several months, in one engine of the MSC Opera. Beyond fuels, the company is also investing in complementary technologies, including pilot applications of fuel cell technology, which are expected to further contribute to reducing emissions in the future, energy efficiency systems such as digital operational optimization tools, heat recovery systems and advanced propulsion technologies.
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