The cruise division of the Switzerland-based shipping heavyweight Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has marked another decarbonization target as complete, having connected two of its vessels to shore power in Valetta, Malta.
Courtesy of MSC
According to the company’s officials, the MSC World Europa—the maritime transport player’s first unit powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), launched in 2022—and the Explora II—delivered by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in September 2024—connected to shore power at Valetta’s Grand Harbour on October 15 and October 16.
“The shore-power system at the Grand Harbour is a national investment in cleaner air, quieter communities, and sustainable tourism. It is encouraging to see international cruise operators like MSC actively using the facility and helping us set an example for the Mediterranean region,” Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, shared.
“Malta was the first Mediterranean port to make shore power operational, and together we are now proving that sustainable infrastructure can support both environmental goals and the growth of cruise tourism,” Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, further remarked.
The back-to-back connections reportedly represent a ‘first-ever’ for the company, with Explora II acting as the inaugural Explora Journeys’ unit to connect to shore-side electricity in Europe. What is more, the two operations are said to have marked a big step forward in MSC Cruises’ global shore power program.
As explained, ever since the opening of the shore power site in Valetta in 2024, when MSC World Europa became the first ship to use the facility, MSC Cruises’ vessels have spent approximately three hundred hours linked to shore power at the location, effectively removing what is estimated to be half of an entire month’s worth of local emissions that would have otherwise been produced while at berth.
It is understood that MSC Cruises, which is believed to have around 25 units in its fleet, has outfitted shore power capability as standard on all new vessels since 2017, while working on retrofitting other ships in its roster.
As a result, per MSC, eighteen of the cruise division’s ships have been equipped to use this technological solution, with further installations underway. Moreover, MSC Cruises connected to shore power more than one hundred times at 13 ports last year, the company revealed.
