MSC Cruises orders two new LNG-powered World Class ships at Chantiers de l’Atlantique

MSC Cruises, the cruise division of Swiss shipping giant MSC Group, has confirmed the order for two new LNG-powered cruise ships at French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

The ships belong to MSC Cruises’ World Class series, which includes the already-delivered MSC World Europa and MSC World America currently under construction. MSC Cruises also has an option for a fifth ship.

The two newly ordered vessels – currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4 – will be delivered in 2026 and 2027.

The ships in the Wold Class series will come with solutions to maximize energy efficiency, with extensive use of heat recovery and other technological solutions.

In addition, the new ships will be ready for a variety of alternative fuels including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol. The ships will also be fitted with the next generation dual fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip.

Other features include shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in ports, wastewater treatment systems, new advances in waste management, and a comprehensive range of onboard energy-efficient equipment to optimize engine use and hotel energy needs to further reduce emissions.

Commenting on the order, Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, said: “We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with whom we have already built 18 ships with our 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.”

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, added: “At a difficult time for the European shipbuilding industry, MSC Cruises has shown its confidence in our abilities and skills with this order. 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, 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.”