MSC joins SEA-LNG as latest coalition member

MSC Mediterranean Shipping, a Swiss container shipping company, has joined the SEA-LNG coalition to support collaboration across industries and accelerate the adoption of net-zero fuels at scale, SEA-LNG announced on August 3.

In recent years, MSC has made investments in LNG-fuelled vessels across various sectors of its operations. In 2022, the company saw its first five newbuilding dual-fuel LNG-capable container vessels enter service.

In the cruise sector, the company has launched vessels like MSC World Europa and MSC Euribia, with maiden voyages powered by bio-LNG.

“In alignment with our net zero commitments by 2050, we view fossil-based LNG as a fuel in transition, and fully expect bio and renewable synthetic LNG to be a key part of our longer-term multi-fuel strategy for deploying net zero fuels,” Bud Darr, executive vice president, maritime policy & government affairs at MSC Group, said.

MSC expects to operate its vessels on a range of fuel options in the future, especially those that can be readily available at scale within a few years. Additionally, MSC is also involved in other initiatives, such as the Methane Abatement in Maritime Innovation Initiative (MAMII) and the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF).

The SEA-LNG coalition represents the entire shipping value chain and aims to demonstrate the benefits of the LNG pathway as a route to shipping’s decarbonisation.