MSC Group 's cruise division has reached another important milestone on its path to decarbonization, as two of its ships, MSC World Europa and EXPLORA II , connected to the land-based electricity grid in the Grand Harbour of Valletta, Malta, for two consecutive days, on October 15 and 16, 2025.
The occasion occurred during a high-level event in Valletta attended by Malta's Prime Minister, Dr. Robert Abela, and senior government officials.
These consecutive connections represent a first for the company, as EXPLORA II becomes the first Explora Journeys ship to connect to the land-based electrical grid in Europe.
Taken together, these operations represent a significant step forward in the MSC Group's Cruises division's global shore power program. Since the opening of the shore power facility in Valletta in 2024, when MSC World Europa became the first cruise ship to use it, MSC Cruises ships have spent approximately 300 hours connected to shore power in Valletta, effectively eliminating half of the local emissions that would have been produced during a month while docked.
Both connections took place within the framework of the 20th anniversary of the GreenPort Congress and the Decarbonising the Future (DTF) 2025 Conference, highlighting the cruise division's continued commitment to cleaner port operations and Malta's pivotal role in supporting the European Union's Fit for 55 scheme, which requires all essential European ports to be equipped for shore-based electricity use by 2030.
Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Group's Cruises division, said: “These connections demonstrate how technology, investment, and collaboration can deliver immediate environmental benefits. Malta was the first Mediterranean port to bring shore power online, and together we are now proving that sustainable infrastructure can contribute to both environmental goals and the growth of cruise tourism. We have a strong track record of collaboration with the Maltese government, whose continued support we appreciate, and we are proud to celebrate this important milestone together.”
MSC Cruises has installed shore power connectivity as standard equipment on all its new ships since 2017 and is working to retrofit the rest of its fleet. Currently, 18 of the 25 ships in the MSC Group's cruise division are equipped to connect to shore power, and additional installations are underway.
In 2024, MSC Cruises connected to the land-based power grid in 13 ports and made 142 successful connections, more than triple the number from the previous year (when there were 44 connections).
Follow cruise news at Cruisesnews.es
