MSC Group's Cruise Division, Fincantieri and Snam have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly determine the conditions for the design and construction of what would become the world's first hydrogen-powered ocean cruise ship.
The owner of the industry's third-largest cruise brand and part of the world's leading transport 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 conduct a study that will assess the feasibility of designing and building the world's first hydrogen-powered ocean cruise ship, which would allow zero-emission operations in certain areas, and the development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
Green hydrogen can be produced without fossil fuels, using renewable energy to split water in a process called electrolysis, and can therefore be emission-free throughout its entire life cycle. It can be used to generate electricity via a fuel cell, emitting only water vapor and heat. This type of "green" hydrogen has great potential to contribute to the decarbonization of the maritime transport industry, including shipping, either in its pure form or as a hydrogen-derived fuel.
Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Group’s Cruises division, said: “As a company that has long focused on environmental sustainability, we want to be at the forefront of our sector’s energy revolution, and hydrogen can make a significant contribution to this. However, current production levels remain low, and hydrogen fuel is still far from being widely available. With this project, we are taking the initiative to bring this promising technology to our fleet and the industry, while sending a strong message to the market about how seriously we take our environmental commitments. As we move forward with developing the required maritime technology, we also intend to encourage energy suppliers to take note and increase production to unlock this, and for governments and the public sector to provide the necessary support for a project that is critical to the decarbonization of the cruise and shipping industries.”
For his part, Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, commented: “Every opportunity for new solutions and technologies is a source of growth for us. This allows us to offer our clients the best of innovation to help minimize environmental impact.”
Marco Alverà, CEO of Snam, stated: “Hydrogen could be a key enabler for achieving zero emissions in maritime transport, which accounts for approximately 3 percent of global CO2 emissions, as well as in all sectors that are difficult to reduce. Snam is strongly committed to concrete initiatives for sustainable transport – by road, rail, and sea – promoting the use of renewable gases such as hydrogen and BioLNG. This agreement is part of a broader strategy for us to leverage our experience, expertise, and technologies in green gases and energy efficiency to contribute to the complete decarbonization of the maritime transport value chain, including ports and logistics, which will become increasingly crucial in our economies.”
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, the three companies will spend the next 12 months studying key factors related to the development of hydrogen-powered ocean cruise ships. These include the layout of ship spaces to accommodate H2 technologies and fuel cells, the technical parameters of onboard systems, the calculation of potential greenhouse gas emission savings, and a technical and economic analysis of hydrogen supply and infrastructure.
The MSC Group's Cruise Division is committed to achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2050. To achieve this goal, the Company is working in collaboration with a wide range of shipyards, suppliers, manufacturers and other organizations, as well as investing in various future technologies and solutions for its fleet.
The implementation of the cooperation described above will possibly be the subject of future binding agreements that will be discussed by the parties in relation to them.
