MSC Cruises confirms order for two new World Class ships

According to a press release, MSC Cruises has confirmed an order for two more World Class ships at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The two new LNG (light liquefied gas) ships - currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4 - are scheduled to sail in 2026 and 2027. MSC Cruises also confirmed the existence of an option for a fifth ship in the class.

In addition to LNG, the new World Class ships will be prepared for the future installation of alternative fuel systems, including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol. They will also be equipped with the ability to connect to the shore power grid to reduce carbon emissions in port and other energy efficient onboard equipment to reduce emissions. Both ships will be equipped with next-generation dual-fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, commented: "We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with Chantiers de l'Atlantique, with whom we have already built 18 ships and a nineteenth ship is 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 exploring and investing in future green technologies as soon as they become available. In doing so, we want to ensure that we continue on our decarbonisation journey towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."

According to Laurent Castaing, CEO of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, this order is a great boost for the European shipping industry: "In these difficult times, MSC Cruises has shown confidence in our skills and capabilities. We would therefore like to thank MSC Cruises for the renewed confidence in us at this crucial time. In addition, MSC Cruises, which is committed to rapidly and significantly reducing the environmental impact of its ships, has accepted a significant cost premium to improve the energy efficiency of these new ships, which will emit 50% less CO2 than the IMO's 2008 EEDI benchmark."

The two (three) new vessels will build on MSC World Europa (2022) and MSC World America (spring 2025), which are already the most energy efficient ships in the cruise industry and far exceed the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements. The MSC Euribia (2023), the fifth ship in the Meraviglia class, is also characterized by its green efforts, and set sail this year in June on the first ever emission-free cruise ship voyage.

According to MSC Cruises, LNG is currently the cleanest marine fuel in the world available on a large scale and is set to play a key role in the decarbonisation transition of international shipping. It significantly reduces air pollutant emissions - up to 99% for sulphur oxides and up to 85% for nitrogen oxide. LNG also plays a key role in climate change mitigation, offering up to 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and paving the way for the introduction of sustainable non-fossil fuels such as bio and synthetic LNG.

Sources: MSC Cruises, Cruise Industry News