MSC World Europa which is a giant new cruise ship for MSC Cruises has reached a major construction milestone at the shipyard in France.
MSC World Europe Construction Latest
Construction of the very first MSc World-class cruise ship has reached a major milestone at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. A coin ceremony was held for MSC World Europa which is a maritime tradition.
This marks the keel laying, where a huge block is lowered into place, the first of many huge blocks that will make up the hull. A number of shipyard and cruise line executives attended the event along with two godmothers representing both companies. The two coins were placed under the keel which is a sign of blessing and good fortune for the vessel.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, said:
“MSC World Europa is further proof of our commitment to environmental stewardship as she is set to reduce carbon emissions even further than many other existing cruise ships powered by LNG, which is currently the most environmentally-friendly fuel for commercial maritime operations. With this vessel, we also reconfirm our belief in investing in advanced environmental technology to meet our long-term goal of zero emissions from operations.”
The MSC cruise ship will be the first of four new World-class ships and once MSC World Europa enters service she will become one of the largest in the world at over 200,000 gross tons. The ship will feature a 50-kilowatt demonstrator system that incorporates solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology and use LNG to produce electricity and heat onboard.
MSC World Europe will be advanced all the way through also reducing greenhouse gasses by 30 percent compared to a conventional LNG engine. There will be a new water treatment system on board too to make the ship even more environmentally friendly.
It’s still early days yet to know the ship’s specific features and experiences but as she gets closer to completion the cruise line will tease us with new details. Delivery of the new ship will take place in 2022.
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The cruise line currently has a total of 12 cruise ships under construction or on order. MSC Virtuosa is the next new vessel to be delivered but due to the situation around the world that has been delayed. She was originally scheduled to be delivered in September 2020. MSC Seahorse is also set to enter service in 2021 before the arrival of the giant MSC World Europa.
