MSC Cruises confirmed it exercised options for two new World Class cruise ships from French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered newbuilds, currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4, will be delivered in 2026 and 2027. MSC Cruises also holds an option for a fifth ship in the series.
The newly ordered ships will be an evolution of the World Class vessels, MSC World Europa and MSC World America, which already perform better than the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirement. The newbuilds will feature innovative solutions to maximize energy efficiency, including extensive use of heat recovery and other technological solutions, which will further reduce their carbon footprint. The new ships will also be ready for a variety of alternative fuels like bio and synthetic methane, and green methanol and will be fitted with the next generation Wärtsilä dual fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip. They will also feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port and other onboard energy-efficient equipment to further reduce emissions.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman, MSC Cruises, said, “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 decarbonization 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.”
The new World Class vessels will feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port, advanced wastewater treatment systems designed in line with the IMO, 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.