MSC Cruises and Italian energy company Eni have completed a biofuel trial aboard the cruise vessel MSC Opera, in a project aimed at reducing operational emissions within the cruise sector.
During the trial, one of the ship’s engines operated for approximately 2,000 hours using 100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) biofuel without requiring modifications to the machinery.
According to the companies involved, the use of HVO resulted in greenhouse gas emissions reductions of up to 80% compared with conventional marine fuel. The test programme also recorded a reduction of approximately 16% in nitrogen oxide emissions, alongside lower particulate emissions.
The initiative was carried out with technical support from engine manufacturer Wärtsilä and independently verified by Bureau Veritas.
MSC Cruises stated that biofuels such as HVO could contribute to the cruise industry’s broader transition toward lower-emission operations and support the company’s long-term objective of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The HVO fuel used during the trial was produced from waste-derived feedstocks, including used cooking oil, animal fats and agricultural residues.