The “greenest” LNG ship in the world
The city of Civitavecchia welcomed today for the first time MSC World Europa, a new ship in the MSC Cruises fleet powered by LNG and one of the most advanced in the world from a technological and environmental point of view. With 22 decks, 215,863 gross tons, 333 meters long, 47 meters wide, 40,000 m2 of public space and 2,626 cabins, MSC World Europa is among the largest cruise ships in the world and by far the largest powered by LNG. And it is also the cruise ship with the lowest environmental impact per passenger.
Leonardo Massa, Managing Director of MSC Cruises, underlined that “Civitavecchia is the first port for passengers in Italy and represents one of the main airports in Europe. A reference point for all our cruises in the western Mediterranean, we have therefore chosen Civitavecchia as a stopover for cruises on board MSC World Europe. The ship will be engaged in the Lazio port throughout the winter season, a period in which it will sail on an itinerary that includes stops in Genoa, Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona and Marseilles. In total, we expect to handle over 600,000 passengers in Civitavecchia in 2023 alone, an important figure and even higher than the numbers we recorded in 2019″.
The Lazio port of call continues to be one of the main reference ports for the company, as evidenced by the more than 600,000 passengers handled in the 156 total calls scheduled for 2023. 12 of the company’s ships will stop at the port of Civitavecchia out of a total of 22 in the fleet which, starting next June, will see the arrival of MSC Euribia. To celebrate the arrival of MSC World Europa, the maritime ceremony of the “Maiden Call” was organized on board the ship, as per tradition, in the presence of the main city authorities and institutions, representatives of the maritime sector and trade.
The following attended the ceremony, welcomed by the ship’s Captain Dino Sagani, by the President of Marinvest Franco Ronzi and by Leonardo Massa: Attorney Ernesto Tedesco, Mayor of Civitavecchia, Pino Musolino, President of the Port System Authority of the Central-Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Rear Admiral Filippo Marini, Maritime Director and Commander of the Port Authority of Civitavecchia, Colonel Fabrizio Stella, Commander of the Group of the Guardia di Finanza of Civitavecchia, representing the Provincial Commander, Alessandro Zanzi, Executive in charge of the Border Police of Civitavecchia, the Captain Michele Scotto Lavina, Chief Pilot of Civitavecchia, Andrea Fortunato, of the Cafimar Lazio Tugs of Civitavecchia Giorgio Pilara, President of the Mooring Group of Civitavecchia, Gabriella Sorrentino, of the Bellettieri Maritime Agency of Civitavecchia and John Portelli, General Manager Rome Cruise Terminal.
The lawyer Ernesto Tedesco, Mayor of Civitavecchia commented: “Today I am pleased to celebrate the arrival of MSC World Europa and with it also the close synergy between port and city which is increasingly profitable. The future of our city intersects with its port and recognizes its ability to activate an important induced on the territory, this is a stimulus for the municipal administration to increase and activate more and more services that also concern the reception capacity and the cultural offer. I thank all those who work in the port in various capacities, today’s ceremony is the synthesis of a 20-year work, which testifies to continuous and lasting growth and which will also be increasingly sustainable”.
Pino Musolino, President of the Port System Authority of the Central-Northern Tyrrhenian Sea underlined that “I am proud to be present at today’s event, we welcome a ship whose name MSC World Europa also evokes the role and centrality of our port in the heart of Europe in terms of role and prestige. Shipowners such as MSC choose to visit this port also due to our ability to offer efficient and sustainable infrastructures and in this context I confirm the construction of four cold ironing stations whose shipyards are due to start at the end of this year. At the same time we are also working on a high-speed rail link between Fiumicino and our airport. These are small big steps that allow us to consolidate the leadership of Civitavecchia in Italy in the cruise sector thanks to teamwork carried out with the entire port community and institutions for a sustainable growth of our port and our city from all points of view not only the economic one, but also the environmental and social one. Fair winds to MSC Word Europe”.
Source-www.adnkronos.com