French shipbuilder, Chantiers de l‘Atlantique, selected Wärtsilä to supply a solutions package for two new cruise ships, scheduled for delivery in 2020 and 2022. The packages will improve the vessels’ efficiency and promote sustainable practices using liquified natural gas (LNG). Ultimately, the ships will be delivered to MSC Cruises.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s Technical Director stated, “These two new cruise ships will represent the latest thinking in minimising the environmental impact and reducing fuel consumption, which is in line with our Ecorizon plan, and Wärtsilä is playing a major role in this.”
Wärtsilä has noticeably tapped into the cruise industry’s focus on improving sustainability.
Vice President, Marine Power Solutions commented, “The focus of our solutions is on reducing energy and fuel consumption in order to promote efficiency. At the same time, our nitrogen oxide reduction and LNG solutions enhance environmental sustainability, which together with the higher efficiency, is very much in line with Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine strategy.”
Once complete, these will be the first LNG-fueled cruise ships using Wärtsilä’s 46DF engine and LNCPac system. All in, each solutions package will include five 46DF duel-fuel engines with nitrogen oxide reduction (NOR) units, two LNGPac fuel storage and supply structures, two fixed pitch propellers, and seven thrusters.
The two vessels will operate worldwide and are scheduled to launch in May 2022 and sometime in 2024.
