He will finally discover the ocean. This Wednesday afternoon, theMSC World Europa will leave for its first sea trials, which should last until Saturday. The cruise ship, the latest addition to the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, will carry out “many tests at different levels (speed, seakeeping, maneuvers, etc.) carried out by specialized technicians”, explains the Italian shipowner. Swiss.
A step that is all the more important for this liner, 333 m long and 47 m wide, as it will be the first powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) made in France.
Improving the environmental impact of cruising
LNG has the advantage of hardly emitting any sulfur dioxide, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 25% and reducing fine particles by more than 95%. “This is a new impetus for the environmental impact of cruising to improve and go beyond current regulations”, justified in 2020 Erminio Eschena, director of institutional affairs for the MSC group, while the sector of the cruise is facing a lot of environmental criticism.
Two large liners of 6,700 passengers using this more virtuous type of fuel are already under construction in Saint-Nazaire. the MSC World Europa will undergo a second phase of tests at the start of the school year, before the delivery scheduled to follow. Cruises in the Emirates and the Mediterranean will begin in winter 2022.