By
Alex Smith |
Technology group Wärtsilä is to supply French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique with a package of integrated solutions for the first two World-class ships being built for MSC Cruises. The cruise ships will be powered by LNG fuel, making them the first vessels to run on LNG with Wärtsilä’s 46DF engines and LNGPac systems.
“The focus of our solutions is on reducing energy and fuel consumption in order to promote efficiency,” said Stefan Nysjö, vice president of marine power solutions at Wärtsilä. “At the same time, our nitrogen oxide reduction and LNG solutions enhance environmental sustainability, which, together with higher efficiency, is very much in line with Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine strategy.”
The full package that Wärtsilä will provide includes five 46DF engines fitted with nitrogen oxide reduction units, two LNGPac fuel storage and supply systems, seven thrusters, and two fixed pitch propellers. The equipment is set for delivery in mid-2020 for the first ship and mid-2022 for the second.
“We are very familiar with Wärtsilä’s products and they have always provided us with excellent support in newbuild projects,” said Yves Pelpel, technical director at Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “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.”
MSC Europa, the first of the two ships, is currently under construction and is scheduled for delivery in May 2022. The second World class ship will be launched in 2024. MSC Cruises has also ordered two more ships in the World class, representing an investment of US$2.2 billion.