Bureau Veritas has awarded its first Energy Efficient Design label to the new 3,952-passenger cruise vessel 'MSC Splendida'.
Recently delivered to MSC from STX France's St Nazaire yard, 'MSC Splendida' was officially named in Barcelona on July 12.
Didier Chaleat, Senior Vice-President, Bureau Veritas, explained that the voluntary Energy Efficient Design scheme covered the design of the hull and appendices for maximum fuel efficiency, as well as energy saving devices for energy production using the latest generation diesel generators.
The vessel's propulsion, he said, uses high performance propellers driven by electric motors with frequency converters to optimise power to speed requirements.
The vessel can reach 24 knots with twin 20MW main motors. The reduction of energy consumption of systems and equipment required for the public spaces such as air conditioning includes an automatic system to reduce cooling in case of no occupancy of a cabin, a free cooling system allowing climate control of areas without the ship producing air refrigeration and lighting optimisation with LED lights.
"We estimate the vessel may save more than ten percent of total energy consumption as compared with a more conventional or older vessel of this size," said Mr Chaleat.
"And this is obtained without any compromise on speed, comfort or hygiene."
'MSC Splendida' is the second vessel (after 'MSC Fantasia') which BV has been able to award the Six Golden Pearls voluntary scheme certifying corporate compliance with the three highest international standards in the areas of environment (ISO 14001), health and safety (OHSAS 18001) and food safety (ISO 22000) and the additional notation for the vessel Cleanship 2, covering systems which limit emissions to the air and water and waste handling.
