By
Alice Chambers |
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has successfully completed its first LNG bunkering operation for MSC Cruises’ MSC World Europa at the Port of Marseille Fos in France.
TotalEnergies’ chartered bunker barge Gas Vitality refuelled the vessel via a ship-to-ship transfer of 2,500 cubed metres of LNG, marking the beginning of an LNG bunker supply contract between the firm and MSC Group. As per the agreement, TotalEnergies will supply approximately 45,000 tons of LNG per year to MSC Cruises’ ships at Marseille. It is part of MSC Cruises’ efforts to decarbonise its operations by 2050.
“We are excited to support the cruise division of MSC Group in its decarbonisation journey and to help the Port of Marseille Fos become an LNG bunker hub for the Mediterranean region,” said Philippe Charleux, senior vice president of lubricants and specialties at TotalEnergies. “This operation also expands our LNG bunkering capabilities to the cruise ship segment, demonstrating our ability to serve a broader range of shipping clients, as the industry strives to reduce emissions. In line with TotalEnergies’ Climate ambition, we will continue to work with our industry partners to develop and scale up new, lower-carbon and ultimately, zero-carbon fuel solutions for shipping.”
MSC World Europa is the world’s best performing large cruise ship in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions it emits per passenger onboard.
“This first LNG bunkering operation in Marseille is an important milestone for our company as we welcome MSC World Europa for her first summer season in the Mediterranean,” said Patrick Pourbaix, managing director of MSC Cruises in France. “Featuring a range of unprecedented innovations in terms of environmental and marine technologies MSC World Europa represents a major step forward on our journey towards meeting our target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
“LNG is not only the cleanest marine fuel currently available at scale, but also a transitional fuel as we look ahead to source and use synthetic LNG or other alternative non-carbon fuels as soon as they become available at scale.”