The headline on Cruise&Ferry.net reads “MSC confirms orders for hydrogen-powered ships for Explora Journeys.” The headline is somewhat misleading as the new ships on order from Fincantieri for MSC’s luxury cruise brand Explora Journeys, will not be hydrogen-powered, per se, but will apparently be configured with the capability to burn a range of green or at least greener fuels. 

The new ships, Explora V and VI will reportedly make use of liquid hydrogen with fuel cells for their hotel operations while docked in ports to enable them to switch off their engines and eliminate carbon emissions. Propulsive power will be provided by a new generation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines that will reduce the issue of methane slip, in which unburned fuel escapes into the atmosphere. 

LNG emits significantly less sulfur oxide (SOx), particulates, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) than heavy fuels. Optimally, it also has a carbon footprint of up to 30% less than heavy fuel. The problem is that some unburned natural gas, which is mostly methane, can escape from the engines. As methane is upwards of 200 times more damaging as a greenhouse gas than CO2, earlier designs could be as environmentally harmful as heavy fuel. The newer designs are represented to significantly reduce this “methane slip.”

Other fuels offer “greener” alternatives to conventional marine fuels but are still not generally available in the existing supply chains. The two new ships will be capable of using alternative fuels such as bio and synthetic gas and methanol as they become available. MSC’s cruise division promises to work with Fincantieri in the future to equip the ships with technologies including carbon capture and more advanced waste management systems.

“This new contract with MSC is a sign of the growing vitality of the cruise sector, in line with what we had predicted,” said Pierroberto Folgieri, CEO of Fincantieri. “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 commercialize new solutions. 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.”

The deal completes a total investment of €3.5 billion ($3.73 billion) in six luxury ships for Explora Journeys. Explora 1 was delivered by Fincantieri in July 2023 and is currently operating in Northern Europe. Both Explora II and III are currently under construction and will enter service in the Summer of 2024 and 2026 respectively. Construction of Explora IV will begin in January 2024 and be completed in early 2027.

Explora V will then be delivered later in 2027, followed by Explora VI in 2028.

Thanks to David Rye for contributing to this post.