Methane is about to go on a cruise

The world of boating and cruises does not want to be deaf before the demands of a "green" transport company. If in the field of yachts the first hybrid engines are taking offshore, in that of cruises the companies focus on methane engines and on the use of electricity during moorings in port to avoid having the engines turned on.

But the commitment can also be declined in a different way. As for example, Msc Crociere announced that (on the occasion of the launch of MSC Grandiosa in Hamburg) that from 1 January next will compensate for all the CO2 emissions of its fleet with high quality projects based on the use of Blue Carbon Credits. A commitment that is part of a broader program to support the UN Sustainable Development goals.

As Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of Msc Cruises, explained, the company's commitment started in 2003 is the long-term one “to allow to reach by 2024 a 29% reduction in CO2 per passenger / kilometer compared to 2008 and arrive at a 40% reduction by 2030 ".

With this new MSc project will develop a carbon offset compensation portfolio that also incorporates projects to protect and restore ocean and coastal habitats by absorbing more and more CO2. The commitment of MSC
also includes a focus on energy efficiency. In fact, since 2017 all the company's ships are equipped with ground power plants, a technology that allows emissions to be reduced to zero in ports that have docks enabled for this service.

The initiative, as we said, was presented on board the MSC Grandiosa, the new flagship of MSC that represents one of the most advanced ships from the point of view of environmental protection. But this is only a first step: the company, in fact, has started the construction of MSc Europe, the first of five cruise ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will enter service between 2022 and 2027.