(TAN): The cruise division of MSC Group, Fincantieri and Snam have signed an MoU to jointly determine the conditions for the design and construction of what would become the world’s first oceangoing hydrogen-powered cruise ship.
The owner of the world’s third largest cruise brand and part of the leading global shipping and logistics conglomerate MSC Group, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and a leading international energy infrastructure operator have joined forces to initially carry out a study that will assess the feasibility of designing and building the world’s first oceangoing cruise ship powered by hydrogen, which would allow zero-emissions operations in certain areas, and the development of the related hydrogen bunkering infrastructure.
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Green hydrogen can be produced without fossil fuels, using renewable energy to split water in a process called electrolysis and can therefore be emissions-free on a full lifecycle basis. It can be used to generate electrical power through a fuel cell, emitting only water vapour and heat. This type of ‘green’ hydrogen holds great potential to contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, including cruising, whether in its pure form or as a hydrogen-derived fuel.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said, “As a Company that has long made environmental sustainability its focus we want to put ourselves at the forefront of the energy revolution for our sector and hydrogen can greatly contribute to this. However, today production levels remain low and hydrogen fuel is still far from being available at scale. With this project, we’re taking the lead to bring this promising technology to our fleet and the industry while sending the strongest possible signal to the market about how seriously we take our environmental commitments.”
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“As we advance with the development of the maritime technology required, we will also see that energy providers take note and ramp up production to unlock this, and that governments and the public sector step in to provide the necessary support for a project that is critical to the decarbonisation of cruising and shipping.”
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