GNV christens new Ro-Pax ferry GNV Orion

GNV, part of the MSC Group, has formally named its newest Ro-Pax ferry, the GNV Orion, in Genoa, Italy, on July 3. The vessel is the second of eight new ships planned as part of a fleet renewal program valued at over €1 billion.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of GNV, stated that the renewal program will add approximately 60 per cent of tonnage to the company's fleet within five years. Following the delivery of GNV Orion and its sister ship GNV Polaris, two more LNG-powered vessels, GNV Virgo and GNV Aurora, are expected by early 2026. A further four LNG-powered ro-pax ships are scheduled for delivery by 2030.

The GNV Orion was built at the Guangzhou Shipyard International in China. The 218-metre vessel has a gross tonnage of approximately 52,000 tonnes and can reach a maximum speed of 25 knots. It has capacity for 1,700 passengers and 3,080 linear metres of cargo.

The company stated the new vessel is equipped with "advanced" environmental technologies that cut CO2 emissions by over 30 per cent compared to previous generation vessels and is also equipped for shore power.