MSC Cruises continues to advance its commitment to environmental sustainability by successfully connecting MSC World Europa 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 is available, as it is an integral part of the company’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 gained has contributed to refining the shore power implementation process.  MSC World Europa from now on will connect to the shore power facilities while calling in Valetta. The ship will call every week throughout the whole of next year and 2025.

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. The line has been able to increase the number of port calls utilising shore power electricity as more ports introduce shore power facilities. 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 aims to add at least 15 new ports to its shore power plan between 2024 and 2026, focusing on a number of ports in Italy, including Genoa, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples and Trieste, as well as prominent ports such as Barcelona, Hamburg, Valencia, Marseille, Copenhagen, and the new cruise terminal in Miami that opens next year, will feature shore power capabilities. MSC Cruises acknowledges 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, and 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. 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. As one of the best performing large cruise ships operating in the world regarding CO2eq emissions per passenger, MSC World Europarepresents a major step forward on MSC Cruises’ journey towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. MSC World Europa is also among the first contemporary cruise ships to incorporate solid oxide fuel cell technology, with trial tests showing very promising results.