Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  January 24, 2020

MSC Cruises extends agreement for sustainable fuel fleet

MSC Cruises announced Jan. 20 the completion of contracts for the construction of their third and fourth LNG-powered cruise ships, to be delivered in 2025 and 2027.

The agreement with Chantiers de l’Atlantique also included a memorandum of understanding for the development of another new prototype class of LNG-powered cruise ships for the MSC Cruises brand. The four vessels that will be created in this new class represent a capital investment exceeding EUR 4 billion and an extra 30 million working hours for the yard, the suppliers and subcontractors involved in the project.

LNG fuel combined with saving measures decreases Sulphur emissions and particulate matter by 99%, NOx emissions by 85% and CO2 emissions by 25%.

A second MoU in the partnership includes the development of another prototype ship class with which they will explore opportunities in wind power and other advanced technologies.

MSC Cruises became the first major cruise line to achieve carbon-neutral fleet operations and offsets all unavoidable CO2 emissions from its fleet.

“The three agreements signed today extend our investment plan up to 2030,” Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, said in a statement. “They stem from an exceptional partnership, with Chantiers, that has already delivered 15 highly-innovative innovative cruise ships over the past two decades and will see many more vessels come to life at Saint-Nazaire’s docks in the next ten years. They also confirm that this industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability, in this case helping the French national industry further position itself as a world leader in the development of next-generation technologies and other solutions.”

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