Tag Archives: Environmental

The World to Undergo Major Refit During Six-Week Drydock

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The company announced in a press release that the World Residences at Sea is set to undergo a major upgrade.

The refurbishment will take place during a six-week drydock at the Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain.

According to the ship’s operator, the project aims to bring an array of transformative enhancements to the vessel, including environmental, technical and hotel upgrades.

“This extraordinary 40-day, $30+ million outlay in the ship demonstrates residents’ commitment to keeping The World at the forefront of luxury living and represents the next chapter in that journey,” said Jessica Hoppe, president and CEO of The World.

The ship was also recently awarded a “Statement of Extended Life” from Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

“Our resident owners continue to invest in the ship, ensuring that it not only evolves with their needs but also stays ahead of global innovations. Our recent Statement of Extended Life from DNV is a testament to the exceedingly high standards that we set, how hard our deck and engine teams work to meet those standards, and the support that we receive from the resident community,” she added.

As part of its regular schedule, The World is said to enter a planned drydock every three years to conduct routine technology and maintenance upgrades, as well as updates to public spaces based on current design and lifestyle trends.

The DNV statement is a result of the company’s commitment to maintenance.

After the completion of a comprehensive study and extensive evaluation, DNV recognized its commitment to maximizing the sustainable lifespan of the vessel.

“Most notably, The World’s physical condition is that of a ship that is just 5.6 years old, far younger than her chronological age—providing confidence in her long-term quality, efficiency, and environmental responsibility,” the company stated.

The 2025 drydock will focus on energy efficiency and sustainability, ensuring that the World continues to meet and exceed global climate targets.

Among the updates is the installation of shore power, also known as cold ironing, a High Voltage Shore Connection (HVSC) system.

The ship’s bulbous bow will be replaced as part of a decarbonization project.

Originally optimized for a speed of 19 knots, the new design will reduce hull resistance by up to 10 percent and significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The World will also debut a reimagined pool deck, a refreshed spa and more.

MSC Confirms Two Hydrogen-Powered Ships for Explora with Fincantieri

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Explora 1 arriving into Liverpool UK photo credit Spacejunkie2 (More Flickr Images)

MSC Group today confirmed firm orders for two hydrogen-powered vessels for its luxury travel brand Explora Journeys with Fincantieri and pledged to continue its push towards a net zero-carbon emissions target by 2050 by investigating additional new and advanced environmental technologies for the luxury ships, according to a press release.

The deal completes a total investment of €3.5 billion in six luxury ships for Explora Journeys. The contracts are subject to access to financing as per industry practice.

The company said that Explora V and Explora VI will have new state-of-the-art energy efficiency measures and will also be capable of using alternative fuels such as bio and synthetic gas and methanol and the Cruise Division will work in the future with Fincantieri to equip the ships with future technologies including carbon capture and more advanced waste management systems.

The two confirmed additions to Explora Journeys’ fleet will be delivered in 2027 and 2028.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman – Cruise Division, MSC Group, said: “With Explora Journeys we have created a luxury brand that has been successful at redefining luxury at sea. We are seeing continued growth in the luxury segment and the investment in these two new ships shows our commitment to continue to grow within this sector as well as to invest in ships of the future. Together with Fincantieri, we will study the newest technology that the world has to offer and continue with our commitment to introduce these technologies to drive efficiencies across the whole spectrum of ship performance. And of course, we will continue to deliver the very best luxury travel experience, immersing our guests in the ocean state of mind with a sustainable soul.”

Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer, Fincantieri, added: “This new contract with MSC is a sign of the growing vitality of the cruise sector, in line with what we had predicted. In strategic terms, our future will depend on our ability to lead the evolution of the sector towards all energy and digital transition technologies with the entrepreneurship required to validate, industrialise and commercialise new solutions. The relevance of the partnership with MSC in this sense is a great strategic stimulus towards the future in line with the technological development goals set out in our new business plan. We are therefore particularly proud that the Explora project will mark the acceleration of this new phase, which with the fifth and sixth ships, will reach the highest level of advancement, making Fincantieri’s vision of the ship of the future ever more concrete.”

The two new ships will pursue the use of liquid hydrogen with fuel cells for their hotel operations while docked in ports to eliminate carbon emissions with the vessels’ engines switched off.

The ships will also feature a new generation of LNG engines that will further tackle the issue of methane slip with the use of containment systems.

MSC Cruises Flexes Environmental Commitment with Green Tech

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2021 will see two new MSC Cruises vessels enter the market, the MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore, and both ships will be equipped with a wide range of the latest-generation environmental technologies and equipment, according to the cruise line. 

Both newbuilds will feature hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) and selective catalytic reduction systems (SCR), achieving a 98% reduction of sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions and reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 90%.

Their wastewater treatment systems have been designed in line with the International Maritime Organization’s MEPC 227(64) Resolution and achieve purification standards that are higher than most wastewater treatment facilities ashore, MSC announced, in a press release. 

As all MSC Cruises’ newbuilds, they will also be equipped with shore power, allowing them to connect to local power grids where infrastructure is available.

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman said: “Our long-term goal is to achieve a zero-impact cruise operation and this is the journey we are on today. As we work with our partners to identify new technologies that will bring us closer to this goal with each new ship that we build and bring into service, we continue to equip our ships with the latest and most effective technologies in the market.”

In addition, MSC has also announced that it is partnering with several industry players in a research project that promotes low-carbon shipping by combining progressive energy technologies and innovative ship design. Led by the University of Vaasa, the CHEK Consortium – deCarbonising sHipping by enabling Key Technology symbiosis on real vessels concept designs project – involves, in addition to MSC Cruises, the World Maritime University, Wärtsilä, Cargill, Lloyds Register, Silverstream Technologies, Hasytec, Deltamarin, Climeon and BAR Technologies.

The consortium is in line to receive significant funding from Horizon 2020 – the European Union’s framework programme for research and innovation.

According to MSC, the project will seek to demonstrate the synergistic benefits of innovative technologies including hydrogen propulsion, ultrasound antifouling, hull air-lubrication, waste to energy systems and digitalized optimization software, fully integrated to maximize efficiency across all aspects of ship operation. 

Looking ahead, in 2022 MSC World Europa, the company’s first LNG-powered vessel will be delivered.

The first LNG ship for MSC will also get a 50-kilowatt, LNG-powered solid oxide fuel cell technology project that offers a potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 25% compared to a conventional LNG engine.

Linden Coppell, MSC Cruises’ Director of Sustainability, noted: “Every new ship that joins our fleet incorporates solutions to minimise our environmental footprint. MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore will be no exception. As new technologies are identified, we also work to improve the existing fleet, investigating retrofit opportunities, incorporating new energy reduction measures, working extensively with industry experts and seeking out drop-in alternative fuels to achieve the ambitious carbon intensity reduction goals of our industry.”