MSC Group’s Explora Journeys has named its new cruise ship capable of running on LNG.
The cruise ship, Explora III, was officially named in Barcelona, the firm said in a LinkedIn post on Monday.
The ship is the first LNG-powered ship in the company’s fleet.
The global LNG-fuelled fleet is currently made up of 929 ships, with 35 of them LNG-fuelled cruise ships, according to classification society DNV data.
LNG is seen as a more mature alternative marine fuel and is more widely available compared to other fuels such as methanol.
While it emits less CO2 than conventional fuels, methane slip - involving a potent greenhouse gas - undermines part of the fuel's green credentials.
Some shipowners are looking towards cleaner bio-LNG as an alternative, as it can be used in existing LNG-fuelled ships and delivers higher net GHG savings.
MSC Group launched Explora Journeys in 2021.
