New luxury line Explora Journeys has confirmed its third and fourth ships, Explora III and IV, will have engines powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman, cruise division, of MSC Group (pictured), confirmed the move during the float out ceremony for the line’s first ship, Explora I, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. 

He said: “I’m pleased to announce that we have decided to switch the third and fourth ships of Explora to LNG propulsion.

“The challenge of changing the ships’ power system is indeed very significant so I must congratulate [Fincantieri] for going back to the drawing board and making this happen. This is so important in our commitment to sustainability.”

He added: “When I was talking about LNG ships 10 years ago people were looking at me as if I was mad. And then today here we are developing LNG ships. What goes into these ships is the future, it will determine what society can do for the future and this is so important for this industry.”

LNG is currently the cleanest marine fuel available at scale and is believed to ‘virtually eliminate’ local air pollutant emissions like sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particles.

LNG also plays a key role in climate change mitigation with the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 25% compared to standard marine fuels. 

With the increasing availability of bio and synthetic forms of LNG in the future, this energy source will provide a pathway toward eventual decarbonised operations, Explora Journeys said. 

The line added that all four Explora ships will be equipped with the latest environmental and marine technologies. 

They will feature the latest selective catalytic reduction technology to reportedly enable a reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions by 90%, be equipped with shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce emissions in port and be fitted with underwater noise management systems to help protect marine life.

All four vessels will also have a “comprehensive” range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use to further reduce emissions, the line said.

“Sustainability is very dear to us at MSC Group,” Vago said.

“At Explora Journeys we cater to our most demanding environmentally conscious guests.”

Explora I is scheduled to make its inaugural voyage on May 30, 2023, with the remaining ships due to enter service in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Fincantieri chairman Claudio Graziano said the four vessels totalled a €2bn investment.