The first LNG bunkering operation has been conducted successfully by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and the Cruise Division of MSC Group for the MSC World Europa cruise vessel at the Port of Marseille in Southern France.
The LNG bunker barge Gas Vitality was chartered by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels to refuel the MSC World Europa with 2,500m3 of LNG via ship-to-ship transfer at the port while guest operations remained uninterrupted.
The bunkering operation marks the beginning of an LNG bunker supply contract between TotalEnergies and the Cruise Division of MSC Group signed in March 2021 that will see TotalEnergies Marine Fuels supply an estimated 45,000 tons of LNG per year to MSC Cruises’ vessels at the Port of Marseille.
“We are excited to support the Cruise Division of MSC Group in their decarbonization journey and to help the Port of Marseille Fos become an LNG bunker hub for the Mediterranean region,” said Philippe Charleux, senior vice president, lubricants and specialties, 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.”
“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,” explained 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.”