Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

1 1 9 “ We are incredibly committed to this net-zero carbon goal, with no ideas off the table right now” Coppell. She adds: “Green energy is currently in short supply, and we are not the only industry to compete for potentially a limited amount of this, so we have to be incredibly flexible with our approach. Fortunately, there are lots of options available, and we are keeping an open mind, recognising that the decisions we make now are critical given that the lifespan of a newbuild ship is 30 years and more.” As part of CHEK, Wärtsilä is testing engines using hydrogen, with support from MSC Cruises in terms of engine operation and experience onboard its fleet. “This project will help understand the requirements for putting a hydrogen-powered engine on a ship in future – we need these detailed trials and results to give us the confidence to do this,” says Coppell. She is keen to point out that the company is not being constrained by setting timelines. “We are keeping an open mind in terms of future technology, looking at every potential solution. When it comes to new fuels, we have to make the right decisions as an industry, not only vis-à-vis the environment but also the future regulatory environment.” Despite the pandemic, Coppell has not seen any let up by the industry in its quest for decarbonisation. With an industry target of 40 per cent improvement by 2030 compared to 2008, MSC Cruises is already well on track to meet that and early, having achieved 28 per cent by 2019. MSC Cruises will trial a new itinerary optimisation tool onboard MSC Meraviglia to see if it can help to optimise energy efficiency