MSC Cruises has confirmed the order of two LNG-powered newbuilds from French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
The two companies said in a joint release on Monday that the company ordered the vessels, referred to as World Class 3 and World Class 4, at Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard.
The LNG-fuelled newbuild duo is expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
The new ships come with solutions to maximise energy efficiency, including extensive use of heat recovery.
Additionally, the new ships will be ready to use a variety of alternative fuels, including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol. The ships will also be equipped with new generation dual fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip.
The new “World Class” ships will also have other features which include shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port, the most advanced wastewater treatment systems, new advances in waste management, and a comprehensive range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use, and hotel energy needs to further reduce emissions.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive president of the MSC Group Cruise division, said: “We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique.”
“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 continue progressing our decarbonization journey to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” he added.
Laurent Castaing, managing director of Chantiers de l’Atlantique said: “At a difficult time for European shipbuilding, with this order, MSC Cruises is showing us its confidence in our capabilities and skills. We therefore firstly express our gratitude to MSC Cruises for its renewed confidence at this crucial moment.”
