Viking Cruise Lines has taken delivery of its new ocean cruise ship, equipped with hydrogen fuel cells, from shipbuilder Fincantieri
Viking Neptune was built at Fincantieri’s Ancona yard and at 47,800 tonnes, will operate in the small cruise ship segment, accommodating up to 930 passengers across 465 cabins.
Viking Neptune is the ninth ship in its class, but is most notable for testing a hydrogen fuel-cell module with nominal power of 100 kW aboard. Although Viking Cruises did not elaborate on the technology used in the system, the company said it is working with Fincantieri to develop large-scale hydrogen applications, significantly contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of the vessels.
As a first step, the two companies have designed an enlarged vessel configuration, to be applied to vessels delivered after 2024, defining spaces and arrangements for accommodating the increased size of hydrogen tank, the fuel-cell systems and relevant auxiliaries.
The second step will be developing a hydrogen-based generation system with a total power of about 6-7 MW, the largest size ever tested on board a cruise vessel, and to ensure smokeless port operation and slow-steaming navigation.
Last month, both companies confirmed contracts for four new vessels, with deliveries scheduled for 2026 and beyond.
Fincantieri said once these systems are finalised, they could be installed on the cruise ships under construction and, as far as possible, retrofitted on the vessels already delivered.
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