MSC Group has announced the next phase of its shore power plan for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys.
The company has identified at least 15 additional ports in Europe and the United States for its cruise ships to be able to connect to shore power between 2024 and 2026. Using shore power while docked substantially reduces emissions and furthers MSC’s commitment and progress to decarbonization.
The plan includes five ports in Italy; Barcelona and Valencia, Spain; Stavanger and Nordfjordeid, Norway; Miami, USA; Copenhagen, Denmark; Marseille, France; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Valletta, Malta and Stockholm, Sweden.
The company fully intends for both MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys cruise ships to utilize shore power at any port where it operates throughout the world as they are made available.
Since February, MSC Cruises has been successfully using shore power at the ports of Southampton, UK, and Kristiansand, Norway. The company also has trials planned for the facilities at the ports of Haugesund, Bergen, and Alesund in Norway and Warnemunde and Hamburg in Germany still this year, and the port of Kiel in Germany next summer.
Shore power connections have been installed on all MSC Cruises’ new ships built since 2017 and other ships have been retrofitted with the system. Currently, 67% of the MSC Cruise fleet is equipped with the technology. Additionally, more ships will be retrofitted with shore power capability as their itineraries make the technology available.
All Explora Journeys’ ships will be outfitted with shore power capabilities as well. The first ship in the new fleet, Explora I, enters service in July 2023, with five additional ships expected over the next five years.
Linden Coppell, VP of Sustainability said, “Shore power is an important factor on our journey towards net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) operations. All of our newbuilds since 2017 are equipped with the ability to plug into local power grids and we are rolling out retrofits on the other vessels in our fleet.
Our shore power plan actively demonstrates our ambition and that we are fully committed to reduce emissions from our ships, including while in ports.
We have invested heavily in hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems to substantially reduce local air quality emissions and we now need more ports across Europe and beyond to introduce shore power as quickly as possible. By making major reductions to emissions in ports, we are fulfilling our responsibility to the ports and coastal communities that our ships visit and serve.
Together with the use of LNG fuel, improving energy efficiency, utilizing innovative wastewater treatment and waste recycling, we are making positive strides in playing our part to address climate change and protect ocean biodiversity.”
Last year MSC Cruises signed an agreement with Cruise Baltic in hopes to advance shore power at Baltic Sea ports. Cruise Baltic has 32 ports in the region committed to increasing the number of shore power facilities.
With MSC Group’s intention to use shore power at every port where it is available, they are sure to meet the goal to be 100% net-zero on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.