Explora Journeys, MSC’s new luxury brand, today announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Fincantieri for the construction of an additional two hydrogen-powered cruise ships to take the total fleet number from four to six vessels.
Explora V and VI will feature a new generation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines that will tackle the issue of methane slip and will also be equipped with industry first environmental technologies and solutions, including a containment system for liquid hydrogen that will enable the line to use this promising low-carbon fuel, the company said in a statement.
Hydrogen fuel will power a six-megawatt fuel cell to produce emissions-free power for the hotel operation and allow the vessels to run on zero emissions in port, with the engines turned off.
The two newbuilds will come into service in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
Explora Journeys also said that its previously announced vessels Explora III and IV will now be powered by LNG.
The two ships will be enlarged by 19 meters to enable the installation of a new generation system based on LNG and hydrogen. This has provided an opportunity to enhance the mix of suites with an increased number of spacious and luxurious Ocean Residences and larger public spaces, which offer a true sense of being at home at sea.
The two additional ships covered under today’s MOA will bring Explora Journeys’ investment in its fleet to €3.5 billion, the company said.
This includes an additional €120 million each for fitting ships three and four with LNG engines, a change that required a temporary halt of work due to the significant redesign of the ships, which will now be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: “Explora Journeys is building ships for tomorrow, utilising today’s latest technologies and being ready to adapt to alternative energy solutions as they become available. The announcement today marks another significant step forward in our goal as a business to reach net zero emissions by 2050 across all our cruise operation for the two brands and a further proof of our commitment to invest in the most advanced marine environmental technologies available to develop sustainable solutions for the future. This transition to zero emissions operations for the maritime industry is the biggest challenge that we will ever face, and this will only be achieved by everyone playing their part – by investing in research and development and through significant investment both by companies but also governments.”
Michael Ungerer, Chief Executive Officer, Explora Journeys, added: “These bold moves to amend our construction plans make significant additional investment in current orders and confirm orders for two more vessels with new technology, despite the economic environment are something only a family company can do. This also demonstrates unequivocally our absolute commitment to operate ships that will appeal and attract the next and future generations of luxury travellers. Sustainability is the new craftmanship and we’re honoured to take a pioneering position within the industry and the wider travel sector.”
Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri, said: “This is the very first major agreement for new construction after the pandemic emergency and testifies not only to the further growth of our long-standing partnership with MSC, which we thank, but also the confidence of both groups in the future of the cruise industry. These ships will allow us to implement cutting-edge technologies aimed at significantly improving environmental performance, laying the foundations for further developments. We are convinced that sustainability is a key factor to ensure our growth in the medium and long term. We will continue to act with determination to be forerunners in a sector that has always seen us hold leadership positions.”
