MSC Cruiseship Showcases LNG Uptake

Bastion of French commercial shipbuilding, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, has handed over the largest cruise ship to date powered by LNG-fuelled engines. The 215,863gt MSC World Europa also features an LNG-fed fuel cell that will serve as a technology demonstrator.

Described by Swiss-based MSC Cruises as an “ultra-modern metropolis at sea”, offering capacity for a maximum 6,762 passengers, the 333m vessel has given first form to the company’s seminal World-class generation. Three further newbuilds of the type are on the books at the Saint-Nazaire yard, occupying delivery slots in 2024, 2025, and 2027.

Aside from the considerable scale economies manifest in the design, the builder claims that MSC World Europa is “the least emitting ship of the entire cruise industry”.

The power plant is based on five 14-cylinder models of the Wartsila 46DF medium-speed engine, suited to either LNG or low-sulphur marine diesel oil. As the nominal maximum rating for the V14 is 16,030kW, the installation has a potential combined output capacity of 80,150kW.

By incorporating proprietary selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, whereby a Wartsila NOx Reducer (NOR) unit is fitted on each engine, NOx emissions will be cut by 90% when in diesel mode. The reduction is similar to that obtained under operation on LNG, such that the vessel is capable of meeting IMO Tier III criteria at all times. Two storage tanks and associated supply systems are provided for the LNG fuel.

The 150kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) will act as a testbed at sea, to accelerate the development of the technology for contemporary cruise ships and raise the prospect of such hybrid propulsion options in the future.

The plug-and-play fuel cell plant, which will run in parallel to the auxiliary power system, has been supplied by Bloom Energy Corporation, and is fitted in a 40ft container. It is expected to yield around 60% electrical efficiency, and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by some 30% relative to an LNG dual-fuel genset.

“We anticipate that SOFC will reduce emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) substantially compared with conventional LNG engines, without producing emissions of NOx, SOx or fine particles,” stated MSC Cruises’ vice-president Linden Coppell, adding “It also has the advantage of not only being compatible with LNG, but also with low- and zero-carbon fuels such as green methanol, ammonia and hydrogen. We could in the future transition to synthetic LNG or other, alternative non-carbon fuels.”

The multi-engine prime mover installation, feeding electric motors acting on two propulsion shaftlines, provides the flexibility and associated energy efficiency to support the operating profile and load requirements characteristic of high-capacity cruise ships. Efficacy and precision in rotating the hull in all conditions at confined berths and in restricted fairways is conferred by a total of seven manoeuvring thrusters at bow and stern.

The hull form has been optimised to minimise resistance, and the raft of other measures adopted to save energy and running costs include ‘smart’ ventilation and air-conditioning systems, with automated energy recovery loops allowing effective distribution of heat and cold throughout the ship. LED lighting is universal onboard, controlled by ‘smart’ management systems.

MSC has also invested in remote energy monitoring and advanced analysis, enabling real-time shoreside support to maximise operational efficiency onboard. As with all MSC newbuilds, the latest vessel is fitted with the means of drawing power from the landside grid when berthed in ports that have suitable infrastructure.

Overall, MSC World Europa has been conceived to perform 47% better than her required EEDI measurement.

The vessel has 2,626 passenger cabins. On a double-occupancy basis, therefore, passenger capacity is some 5,252, but the configuration and flexibility of the arrangements provide for a maximum 6,762 guests. The ship’s initial employment will be as a floating hotel, berthed at Doha port in Qatar, for visitors to the 2022 World Cup, starting on November 21. She will subsequently inaugurate an Emirates-based cruise programme.

The French-built behemoth has become the 20th unit of MSC’s Geneva-headquartered cruise division, whose fleet is projected to grow to 23 by 2025, with a further six newbuilds in prospect through to 2030. Steel cutting has begun at Saint-Nazaire for the second of the World-class, to carry the name MSC World America on service entry in 2025.

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