by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 7:14 PM ET, Wed September 25, 2019
MSC Cruises' upcoming new ship, the Grandiosa, is set to be one of the most environmentally sound ships at sea, designed to serve as an energy-efficient role model for modern cruising.
The ship, scheduled to begin service on October 31, will feature a state-of-the-art Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and next-generation Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) systems, among many other notable features, according to a statement from MSC.
The SCR system will help reduce nitrogen oxide by 90 percent through advanced active emissions control technology. Nitrogen oxide from the engine operations is conducted through a catalyst - a high-density device made from noble metals - and converts them into nitrogen and water, both harmless compounds.
The ship will also be fitted with a next-generation AWT system, the company said.
Through very fine filtration, wastewater from MSC Grandiosa will undergo a comprehensive purification process that transforms it to near tap water quality. The system meets what is called the "Baltic Standard" and treats the wastewater to a higher standard than most waste standards available in cities around the world.
MSC Cruises' next flagship will adhere to the world's strictest environmental standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which will lead to nearly zero impact in these areas.
The MSC Grandiosa will also be certified to operate in delicate environments such as the Baltic Sea and Alaska.
In addition, the ship will be fitted with shore-to-ship power, which connects cruise ships while at berth to a port's local power grid to further reduce air emissions while in port.
This is a feature that is now broadly available across MSC Cruises' entire fleet, the company said, and has come as standard across all its new builds since 2017.
The Grandiosa's new features add to existing environmental technologies deployed on the ship and across the company's fleet to minimize and continuously reduce environmental impact, including cutting-edge hybrid Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) that remove sulphur oxide from ship emissions; advanced waste management and wastewater treatment systems; ballast water treatment systems; latest-technology systems for the prevention of oil discharges from machinery spaces and various state-of-the-art energy-efficiency improvements, from heat recovery systems to LED lighting.
Currently, MSC Grandiosa and 10 other ships in MSC Cruises' fleet of 17 ships are equipped for cleaner emissions with hybrid EGCS' which remove 98 percent of sulphur dioxide from a ship's exhausts.
The line's six other ships will be retrofitted with the technology by the end of 2021, the company said, and until then will rely on the use of low sulphur fuels to always fully comply with the strictest current and new maritime regulations.
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