Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1184160
14.11.19 8 NEWS MSC Cruises last week took delivery of MSC Grandiosa from Chantiers de l'Atlantique, one of the world leaders in cruise ship construction. e delivery ceremony of MSC Cruis- es' newest flagship and one of the most environmentally-advanced ships at sea yet took place in the presence of Gianlui- gi Aponte, MSC Group Chairman. Earlier that same day, a second impor- tant milestone event took place with the traditional cutting of the first steel and naming of the first World Class ship, MSC Europa, by MSC Cruises' Execu- tive Chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago. MSC Europa is the first of five liquified natural gas (LNG)-powered cruise ships on order and the first LNG ship to be built in France. e two events marked another impor- tant step forward in MSC Cruises' long- term commitment to environmental stewardship both at sea as well as ashore. In addition to a hybrid 'closed-loop' ex- haust gas cleaning system (EGCS) which reduces ship sulphur emissions by 97 per cent, MSC Grandiosa will also be the first MSC Cruises' ship to feature a se- lective catalytic reduction (SCR) system which helps reduce nitrogen oxide by 80 per cent. All other MSC Cruises ships currently under construction will feature the SCR technology including MSC Grandiosa's sister ship, MSC Virtuosa, due to come into service in October 2020, as well as MSC Seashore, currently under con- struction at a different shipyard. is active emissions control technol- ogy conducts nitrogen oxide from the engine operations through a catalyst – a high-density device made from noble metals – and converts them into harm- less nitrogen and water. MSC Cruises is investing €5 billion in the construction of five LNG-powered ships. Compared to standard marine die- sel, LNG reduces sulphur oxide emissions by more than 99 per cent and nitrogen ox- ide emissions by up to 85 per cent. It also largely eliminates particulate matter in the ship's exhaust and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by as much as an additional 20 per cent. e 205,700 GT LNG-powered World Class ship MSC Europa will come into service in May 2022 and is the first of four futuristic World Class ships to be constructed at the French yard with fur- ther deliveries scheduled for 2024, 2025 and 2027. In addition, one Meraviglia-Plus ship will also be propelled by LNG when the ship comes into service in 2023. MSC Cruises celebrates two major milestones MSC Cruises' World Class ships will be powered by LNG THE future of payments is here with BOV Pay, the latest tech- nological innovation by Bank of Valletta that enables customers to make in-store payments with their mobile phone. is new way of paying means that customers no longer have to dig into their pockets for their cash or cards – they simply pay with their smart phone or watch. To start using this new method of payment, customers can sim- ply download the BOV Pay app from the Google Play Store to their NFC enabled smartphone, then register and add one or more BOV Visa credit or debit cards. It is really that simple. At the store they just need to unlock their smartphone and tap it on the POS machine and payment is done. Is it convenient? Mobile pay- ments do not require custom- ers to enter a PIN since they are already authenticated when unlocking their phone. is ef- fectively makes payments faster, greatly reducing waiting time. Payments can be made through various BOV Visa debit and credit cards simply by selecting a preferred card through the BOV Pay App itself. Is it safe? e mobile phone has to be 'awake' or unlocked to enable payments, so customers enjoy the same level of protec- tion they have on their mobile phone. "With card acceptance in retail outlets always on the increase, BOV Pay effectively eliminates the need to carry a wallet full of different BOV cards, as a digital wallet is created directly through the app," said Franco Xuereb, Ex- ecutive Head Electronic Bank- ing at Bank of Valletta. "e mobile phone is an inte- gral part of our lifestyle today, so adding payments on the device that many would not leave home without, is simply a natural pro- gression." Xuereb said owners of Garmin PayTM enabled Garmin Watch- es can also upload their BOV Visa cards through the Garmin ConnectTM app and effect pay- ments with their Garmin watch. "We will also be launching this service on other major platforms shortly. Just remember to keep your phone and watch charged if going on a shopping spree." Further information about this innovative and convenient method of payment can be ob- tained through the BOV website on https://www.bov.com/con- tent/bov-pay BOV Pay – the future of payments