As part of efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, MSC Cruises announced that it has completed an order for two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered vessels from French ship builder, Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
The luxury cruise line explained that this will increase its fleet of environmentally-advanced ships to four, with an option for a fifth as well as World Class 3 and World Class 4 which will be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
The new World Class vessels will feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port, the most advanced waste water treatment systems designed in line with the IMO, new advances in waste management and a comprehensive range of on-board energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use and hotel energy needs to further reduce emissions.
Currently, MSC World Europa and MSC World America are already the most energy-efficient ships in the industry, performing significantly better than the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirement.
The cruise line said that these new ships will be an evolution of the state-of-the-art World Class prototype, with its innovative solutions that maximise energy efficiency.
It also comes with other technological solutions, which will go a long way in reducing carbon footprint.
MSC Cruises also said that the new ships will be ready for a variety of alternative fuels, including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol It will also be fitted with the next generation dual fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, said they are proud to continue their 20-year partnership with the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with whom they have already built 18 ships and with their 19th under construction.
“The World Class is a truly innovative prototype and together we are building some of the most advanced ships in the world. We are committed to researching and investing in future environmental technologies as they become available, to ensure we continue progressing on our decarbonisation journey to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said Vago.
Meanwhile, Chantiers de l’Atlantique general manager, Laurent Castaing, thanked MSC Cruises for their support, especially during a challenging time for the European shipbuilding industry.
“We would therefore like to express our gratitude to MSC Cruises for its renewed confidence at this crucial time.
“In addition, MSC Cruises, always seeking to reduce the environmental impact of its ships quickly and significantly, it has accepted a significant cost premium to improve the energy efficiency of these new ships which, according to the IMO’s EEDI index, will emit 50% less CO2 than the IMO’s 2008 benchmark,” said Castaing.
He added that their government’s support has aided their research and development policy which has made ships greener and has enabled them to meet the customer’s expectations.