MSC Group 's cruise division has signed orders for a pair of hydrogen-powered ships for Explora Journeys at Fincantieri, with deliveries planned for 2027 and 2028.
With this, the company also commits to continue moving towards the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, researching new environmental technologies for ships.
The Explora V and Explora VI will feature advanced energy efficiency capabilities and will be able to use alternative fuels such as biogas, synthetic gas, and methanol. In the future, MSC will equip the vessels with technologies such as carbon capture and more advanced waste management systems.
For the two new vessels, the shipowner and builder will explore the use of liquid hydrogen fuel cells for their hotel operations while docked in port, in order to eliminate carbon emissions when the engines are off. They also incorporate a new generation of LNG engines that will further address the problem of methane slippage through the use of containment systems.
In the words of Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the MSC Group: “Together with Fincantieri, we will study the most advanced technology the world has to offer and continue our commitment to introducing these technologies to boost efficiency across the entire spectrum of vessel performance.”
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri, added: “This new contract with MSC is a sign of the growing vitality of the cruise sector, in line with what we had anticipated. Strategically, our future will depend on our ability to lead the sector's evolution towards all energy technologies and digital transition with the entrepreneurial spirit necessary to validate, industrialize, and commercialize new solutions.”
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