Keel laid for MSC Cruises’ eco-friendly EVO class ship

Swiss-based cruise line MSC Cruises has held a coin ceremony for its second seaside EVO class ship at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

As disclosed, MSC Cruises’ second seaside Evo-class ship has been officially named MSC Seascape and, like its sister ship MSC Seashore, represents a further evolution of the seaside class vessels.

MSC Seascape’s environmental features include selective catalytic reduction systems on each of the vessel’s four Wartsila 14V 46F engines to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 90% by converting the gas into harmless nitrogen.

The new design will also incorporate water and hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems expected to remove 98% of sulphur oxide from ship emissions, the company claims.

Furthermore, the vessel will have wastewater treatment, waste management systems and ballast water treatment systems approved by the United States Coast Guard.

The underwater radiated noise management system will reduce the potential effects on marine animals, according to MSC Cruises.

The ship will also be equipped with systems for the prevention of oil discharges from machinery spaces, heat recovery systems and LED lighting.

“MSC Seascape represents our continued investment in this yard and region as well as our drive to advance with our long-term vision to achieve net zero-impact cruise operations. As every new vessel that we build, we are equipping MSC Seascape with some of the latest environmental technologies and solutions, including … emissions reduction and wastewater treatment systems,” Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises said.

Vago also added that the ceremony is “an important symbol of … confidence in the cruise industry and the future of travel and tourism.”

“We can plan for the long term and make these commitments despite the challenging context we all face in the short term,” Vago concluded.

According to the company, the 169,400 GT ship will be able to accommodate 5,877 guests.

The traditional coin ceremony was held on 24 June 2021 and the ship is scheduled to enter service in November 2022.