Testing by Eni and MSC Cruises has confirmed the technical feasibility of using biofuel in its pure form to power cruise ship engines, the cruise line said in a press release.
During the tests with Enilive’s HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) diesel, one of the MSC Opera’s engines was powered for approximately 2,000 hours with pure HVO.
No engine modifications were made, while performance and emissions data were recorded.
The test demonstrated that HVO can be used for marine engines with no technological upgrades needed, with performance staying in line with traditional marine fossil fuels.
Michele Francioni, Chief Energy Transition Officer of MSC Cruises, said:” We are very pleased to have satisfactorily confirmed the technical feasibility of 100% HVO on our cruise ship as part of our continuous decarbonization efforts.
“We believe HVO may play an important role in the decarbonization of shipping and together with other immediately available fuels such as LNG and bio-LNG, constitutes an immediate opportunity that could be deployed onboard cruise ships to accelerate the transition towards renewable fuels, bringing us a step closer to our ultimate goal of reaching net zero GHG emissions by 2050”.
According to the press release, the test recorded lower emissions of both NOx (16 percent) and particulate, as well as a reduction in GHG emissions inherent to the origin of the HVO product of around 80 percent compared to the use of traditional fuel.
The reduction is said to be due to the usage of 100 percent biogenic feedstocks in the HVO production process.
Technical data on engine performance and associated emissions were collected and assessed with the support of Wärtsilä as the engine manufacturer, and Bureau Veritas, which independently validated the results.
Stefano Ballista, CEO of Enilive, noted that his company’s marine HVO diesel has been available at the ports of Genoa, Ravenna and Venice for direct delivery from the terminal to vessels via barge for several months.
He described the fuel as a viable solution for the decarbonization of maritime transport.
