Msc Cruises inaugurates ship power supply in Malta

With a ceremony on board the cruise ship Msc World Europa, the first and only shore-side electricity connection system for cruise ships, available in the Mediterranean Sea, was officially inaugurated in the port of Valletta (Malta). The event culminated with the connection of the ship to the harbour's electricity cables, enabling it to switch off its engines and use shore-side electricity, reducing air emissions to zero while in port.

Until the end of the summer season, the ship will connect to the Maltese port's electricity grid every Wednesday, a fixed stop on the ship's weekly itinerary to take its guests on a tour that touches Malta, Spain, France and Italy.

"Shore power," said Michele Francioni, chief energy transition officer of Msc Cruises, addressing the Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, who was present at the ceremony, "is a very important element of our ongoing commitment to decarbonisation. Most of our fleet is equipped to eliminate emissions and improve air quality when ships are docked in ports, thanks to the local electricity that powers operations'.

Francioni added that he expects 'many other ports in the Mare nostrum and throughout the rest of the world to continue to equip themselves with this important infrastructure (cold ironing, ndr) as soon as possible so that the cruise sector, and the maritime sector in general, can further reduce emissions while in port'.

Msc Crociere's goal by the end of 2024, when 16 of the company's 22 ships will be equipped to connect to shore power networks, is to make 220 connections to shore power at ports that are already equipped with it, in China, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom and, indeed, Malta. The company's ships, moreover, the company's technicians explain, are ready to use the connection in other ports as well, as and when these are equipped with the appropriate infrastructure.