The MSC group confirmed today to Fincantieri the order for the construction of two hydrogen ships for its luxury brand Explora Journeys, completing the total value investment of 3.5 billion dollars that he has seen assigned to the group Italian navalmeccanico the task of building a total of six ships ( 18 October 2018, 14 March 2019 and 6 July 2022). The contracts, as per market practice, are conditional on obtaining funding to the shipowner.

The two new ships Explora V and Explora VI will be able to have new energy efficiency solutions and will be able to use alternative fuels such as synthetic bio gas and methanol. MSC has announced that its cruise division will work with Fincantieri to evaluate the possibility to equip both ships with the latest technology for batteries, as well as a number of potential technologies, including Carbon capture and more advanced carbon management systems waste. "Together with Fincantieri - explained Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman Cruise Division of MSC - with Explora V and you will try to develop and implement new solutions, including the adoption of large fuel cells powered by hydrogen and carbon dioxide capture, pyrolysis for waste management and other new technologies for efficiency energy, which could represent an important step forward in our commitment to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050».

In particular, the two new ships will pursue the use of liquid hydrogen with fuel cells for operations hotel during port stopovers, to eliminate emissions of carbon with engines off. The ships will also be equipped with a new generation of liquefied natural gas engines that further address the problem of methane slippage with the use of containment systems.

The two ships will be delivered to Explora Journeys in 2027 and in 2028. The CEO of Fincantieri, Pierroberto Folgiero, underlined that "this new contract with MSC is a sign of the growing vitality of the sector cruise, in line with what we had planned. In terms of strategic - he added - our future will depend on the ability to lead the evolution of the sector towards all Energy and digital transition technologies with the entrepreneurship necessary to validate, industrialize and commercialize new solutions».

Fincantieri has delivered Explora I, the first ship built for Explora Journeys, in July 2023. Explora II, that to "touched the water" for the first time last 6 September, will enter service in the summer of 2024. Explora III, the construction of which began on September 6, It will enter service in the summer of 2026, while the construction of Explora IV will start in January 2024 and It will be completed in early 2027.