MSC orders two hydrogen-powered cruise ships

MSC’s Cruise Division has confirmed orders for two new hydrogen-powered cruise ships to be built by Fincantieri. The ships will join MSC’s Explora Journeys brand and will take the company's new ship tally to six vessels worth EUR 3.5 billion. The contracts are subject to access to financing as per industry practice, the company said.

Explora V and Explora VI, due for delivery in 2027 and 2028, will have a range of energy efficiency features. They will have hydrogen-powered fuel cells for zero-emission operation in ports, and they will be capable of using alternative fuels such as bio- and synthetic gas when available.

MSC’s Cruise Division will also collaborate with Fincantieri on the adoption of other fuel technologies in the future, including carbon capture and advanced waste management systems.

Hotel operations in port will be powered by liquid hydrogen with fuel cells, with the ships' main engines turned off. Their main propulsion units will incorporate features to tackle methane slip with the use of containment systems, MSC said. Further environmental benefits are expected once synthetic LNG becomes available on a large scale.

MSC Cruise Division executive chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago, commented: "With Explora Journeys, we have created a luxury brand that has been successful at redefining luxury at sea. We are seeing continued growth in the luxury segment, and the investment in these two new ships shows our commitment to continue to grow within this sector as well as to invest in ships of the future.

"Together with Fincantieri," he continued, "we will study the newest technology that the world has to offer and continue with our commitment to introduce these technologies to drive efficiencies across the whole spectrum of ship performance. And of course, we will continue to deliver the very best luxury travel experience, immersing our guests in the ocean state of mind with a sustainable soul."

Pierroberto Folgiero, Fincantieri CEO, said: "This new contract with MSC is a sign of the growing vitality of the cruise sector, in line with what we had predicted. In strategic terms, our future will depend on our ability to lead the evolution of the sector towards all energy and digital transition technologies with the entrepreneurship required to validate, industrialize, and commercialise new solutions.

"The relevance of the partnership with MSC in this sense is a great strategic stimulus towards the future in line with the technological development goals set out in our new business plan," he added. "We are therefore particularly proud that the Explora project will mark the acceleration of this new phase, which, with the fifth and sixth ships, will reach the highest level of advancement, making Fincantieri's vision of the ship of the future ever more concrete."