The line has joined with Italian energy firm Snam and shipbuilders Fincantieri to examine how a vessel could be built and the infrastructure needed to supply it. The initiative is part of MSC’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050.

MSC said hydrogen could be produced without fossil fuels, using renewable energy to split water in a process called electrolysis. It can be used to generate electrical power through a fuel cell, emitting only water vapour and heat.

“This type of ‘green’ hydrogen holds great potential to contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, including cruising, whether in its pure form or as a hydrogen-derived fuel,” MSC said.

However, liquid hydrogen must be stored at -253C, which means it is impractical to carry a large amount of the fuel onboard a cruise ship.

The three partners will spend the next 12 months studying the feasibility of a hydrogen-powered vessel, including arranging ship spaces to accommodate the technology and fuel cells.

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Group cruise division executive chairman, said: “As a company that has long made environmental sustainability its focus, we want to put ourselves at the forefront of the energy revolution for our sector and hydrogen can greatly contribute to this.

“However, today, production levels remain low and hydrogen fuel is still far from being available at scale.

“As we advance with the development of the maritime technology required, we will also see that energy providers take note and ramp up production to unlock this, and that governments and the public sector step in to provide the necessary support for a project that is critical to the decarbonisation of cruising and shipping.”