The Costa Smeralda has been floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The Italian-style, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered vessel of 180,000 gross tonnage was launched at the final stage of the construction. After towing to the equipment pier, it will be finalized for delivery to Costa Cruises, Italy in October 2019.
The 337m Smeralda is Costa’s first and one of the world’s first LNG-powered cruise ships. The use of LNG as a marine fuel eliminates particulate matter and sulfur oxides from the exhaust gases, and significantly reduces nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions. It has 2,610 passenger cabins and can carry up to 6,554 passengers.
“LNG fueled by Costa Smeralda is a major innovation in the international market and an important milestone in the industry standard. Costa Group is the market leader in Europe and China, and we will continue to drive sustainable tourism, ”says Costa Cruises CEO Neil Palomba.
Meyer Turku has been a forerunner in LNG shipbuilding for years and two LNG vessels have been completed.
“With Costa Smeralda, we have been able to utilize our expertise in the design and construction of LNG ships. This ship is also a step for larger ships, as we continue to double our production volume, ”says Meyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer.
“When the ship’s hull is now ready, we are proceeding to equip and build all of these interesting spaces and functions, while ensuring that Costa Smeralda is a safe, reliable and pleasant ship at sea. After the summer, the testing of the myriad systems of the ship will intensify both at the equipment pier and later before the ship is handed over to the marine test, ”explains Meyer.
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