Italy’s Fincantieri has started work on the first out of two LNG-powered ships for Germany-based TUI Cruises, a joint venture of TUI and Royal Caribbean.
The steel-cutting ceremony for the first new-concept ship took place on Wednesday in San Giorgio di Nogaro at Centro Servizi Navali, a company specialized in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy.
Fincantieri said in a statement it would build the units at the Monfalcone shipyard and deliver them in 2024 and in 2026, respectively.
These ships, of about 160,000 gross tons, would set up the backbone of the future TUI Cruises’ fleet, the statement said.
Both of the ships will use LNG but Fincantieri is also studying the “possibility to make them operate in the future with low-emission biofuels – an important step towards climate-neutral cruising,” it said.
In addition, the vessels will feature improved catalytic converters compliant with the Euro 6 standard and a shore power connection.
This ensures almost emission-free ship operation while in port, or about 40 percent of operating time, according to Fincantieri.