By
Laura Hyde |
MSC Cruises has ordered two new World-class vessels from French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique for delivery in 2026 and 2027.
The new ships, which are currently being referred to as World Class 3 and 4, will be “an evolution of the World-class prototype”, according to the cruise operator. They will have numerous energy efficiency solutions, including heat recovery and wastewater treatment systems, as well as a range of onboard equipment to further reduce carbon emissions.
“We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with whom we have already built 18 ships with our 19th under construction,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman at MSC Cruises. “The World class is a truly innovative prototype and together we are building some of the most advanced ships in the world. We are committed to researching and investing in future environmental technologies as they become available, to ensure we continue progressing on our decarbonisation journey to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
The ships will be capable of operating on various alternative fuels and will be fitted with the next-generation dual-fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip. They will also benefit from shore power plug-in connectivity.
“At a difficult time for the European shipbuilding industry, MSC Cruises has shown its confidence in our abilities and skills with this order,” said Laurent Castaing, general manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “We would therefore like to express our gratitude to MSC Cruises for its renewed confidence at this crucial time. In addition, MSC Cruises, always seeking to reduce the environmental impact of its ships quickly and significantly, has accepted a significant cost premium to improve the energy efficiency of these new ships which, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index, will emit 50 per cent less carbon dioxide than the IMO’s 2008 benchmark.”
The two new orders will be subject to access to financing, as per industry practice. The deal includes an option for a fifth ship.
The new orders follow MSC World Europa, which entered service in November 2022, and MSC World America, which reached a construction milestone earlier this month when its LNG fuel tanks were installed.