Finnish state-owned energy firm Gasum has signed a long-term LNG supply deal with MSC Cruises, a unit of Switzerland-based shipping giant MSC, to bunker the latter’s second LNG-powered vessel, MSC Euribia.
Gasum has already provided some 400 tons of bio-LNG to MSC Euribia for its maiden voyage from France to Copenhagen.
MSC Cruises held a naming ceremony for its second LNG-powered cruise vessel, MSC Euribia, in the Danish capital on June 8.
Now the two firms signed a long-term agreement under which Gasum will supply LNG to the 331 meters long vessel, the firm said in a statement on Thursday.
Gasum did not provide any additional details regarding the deal.
Synthetic e-LNG
Besides the supply deal deal, the two firms also signed a letter of intent with the goal of cooperating on the supply of synthetic e-LNG made with renewable energy.
This is a part of MSC Cruise division’s strategy to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from its marine operations by 2050, Gasum said.
LNG technology on board MSC Euribia enables MSC Cruises to switch at any time to fully renewable liquefied biogas (bio-LNG) or synthetic gas (e-LNG) in order to reach greenhouse gas emissions reductions of up to 100 percent, it said.
The letter of intent aims at securing MSC access to e-LNG, which is produced using hydrogen, created by hydrolysis with renewable energy and captured CO2.
Gasum and MSC Cruises are together creating an “actionable roadmap for cutting emissions in MSC’s cruise operations with sizeable volumes of several thousand tons of e-LNG starting in 2026,” it said.
The Finnish firm added that its strategic goal is to bring 7 TWh of renewable gas yearly to market by 2027.