Eni, MSC Cruises complete 2,000-hour renewable diesel test on cruise ship

Photo: Eni

Italy-based supermajor Eni announced May 12 that it and MSC Cruises have completed a test of the use of Enilive’s hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel.

This test confirmed the technical feasibility of using the biofuel in its pure form in the maritime sector to power cruise-ship engines.

The initiative highlights the value of HVO as a strategic energy carrier to support the decarbonization of maritime transport and the reduction of lifecycle greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, enabling shipowners to significantly cut emission-related costs and to meet the targets set by FuelEU maritime regulations.

The trial was jointly carried out by Eni and MSC Cruises.

During the tests, one of the engines of the cruise ship MSC Opera was powered for approximately 2,000 hours with pure HVO, without any engine modifications, while performance and emissions data were recorded.

This test demonstrated that HVO is an immediately applicable solution even for marine engines and without the need for technological upgrades, while ensuring performance in line with traditional marine fossil fuels.

The test also recorded 16 percent lower nitrogen-oxide (NOx) emissions and less particulate matter, as well as a significant reduction in GHG emissions inherent to the origin of the HVO product of around 80 percent compared to the use of traditional fuel.

The reduction of GHG emissions is due to the usage of 100 percent biogenic feedstocks in the HVO production process.

Technical data on engine performance and associated emissions were collected and assessed with the support of Wärtsilä, the engine manufacturer, and Bureau Veritas, which acted as an independent certifier to validate the experimental results.

“The trial with MSC has demonstrated how HVO diesel biofuel can contribute immediately to the decarbonization of maritime transport,” said Enilive CEO Stefano Ballista. “It can be used in its pure form in marine engines validated for its use, allowing a reduction in climate-altering emissions—calculated along the entire supply chain—of between 65 percent and 90 percent compared to traditional marine fossil fuels. HVO is produced at Enilive’s biorefineries in Venice and Gela, mainly from waste feedstocks such as used cooking oils, animal fats and residues from the agrifood industry. For several months now, Enilive’s marine HVO diesel has been available at the ports of Genoa, Ravenna and Venice for direct delivery from the terminal to vessels via barge. The use of this fuel represents a viable solution for the decarbonization of maritime transport, contributing to compliance with the obligations set by the FuelEU maritime regulation and reducing the emission-related costs.”

Michele Francioni, MSC Cruises’ chief energy-transition officer, added, “We are very pleased to have satisfactorily confirmed the technical feasibility of 100 percent HVO on our cruise ship as part of our continuous decarbonization efforts. We believe HVO may play an important role in the decarbonization of shipping and together with other immediately available fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and bio-LNG, constitutes an immediate opportunity that could be deployed on board cruise ships to accelerate the transition towards renewable fuels, bringing us a step closer to our ultimate goal of reaching net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.”