A hydrogen fuel cell module with a nominal power of 100 kW has been fitted on Viking Neptune
The 47,800gt Viking Neptune has been delivered at Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy – and as part of a test, is fitted with a hydrogen fuel cell module with nominal power of 100 kW.
The vessel, which has 465 cabins and can accommodate up to 930 passengers, is the ninth in its class.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology
Viking and Fincantieri continue to collaborate on developing applications based on hydrogen fuel cell technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their workstrengthened this year, going beyond joint research and developmentactivity.
The cruise line and the shipyard firstdesigned an enlarged vessel configuration that will be applied to the Viking ships being delivered after 2024, defining spaces and arrangements for accommodating the increased size of the hydrogen tank, the fuel cell systems and other relevant features.
Next step: 6-7 MW design
The second step will be the development of a hydrogen-based generation system with a total power of approximately 6-7 MW – described by Fincantieri as the largest size ever tested on board a cruise vessel – able to ensure emission-free operations at port, as well as navigation at a reduced speed.
These systems, once finalised, could be installed on Viking vessels under construction and ‘as far as possible, retrofitted on the vessels already delivered,’ according to Fincantieri.
Fincantieri handed overViking Polaris at Vard Søviknes in Ålesund, Norway in September,the second of two expedition vessels created for the brand. The collaboration between Fincantieri and Viking spans 18 vessels.
