Integrated energy company Eni and MSC Cruises on Tuesday (12 May) announced the completion of a test of the use of Enilive’s Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) 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 highlighted the value of HVO as a strategic energy carrier to support the decarbonisation of maritime transport and the reduction of life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enabling shipowners to significantly cut emission-related costs and to meet the targets set by FuelEU Maritime regulation. 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 lower emissions of both NOx (-16%) and particulate, as well as a significant reduction in GHG emissions inherent to the origin of the HVO product of around -80% compared to the use of traditional fuel; the reduction is due to the usage of 100% 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. Stefano Ballista, Chief Executive Officer of Enilive , said: “The trial with MSC has demonstrated how HVO diesel biofuel can contribute immediately to the decarbonization of maritime transport. It can be used in its pure form in marine engines validated for its use, allowing a reduction in climate-altering emissions – calculated along th