Explora Journeys, the luxury travel brand of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, and Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the construction of an additional two hydrogen-powered luxury cruise ships to take the total fleet number from four to six vessels. The two newbuilds will come into service in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
EXPLORA V and VI will feature a new generation of 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 them to use this promising low-carbon fuel. 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.
Explora Journeys also said that the 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.
“Explora Journeys is building ships for tomorrow, utilizing 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,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group.
The two additional ships covered under this MOA will bring Explora Journeys’ investment in its fleet to €3.5 billion. This includes an additional €120 million each for fitting EXPLORA III and IV 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.
“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,” commented Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri. “We are convinced that sustainability is a key factor to ensure our growth in the medium and long term.”
Source: Explora Journeys
