Viking Neptune, the newest ocean cruise ship which Fincantieri has built for the shipowner Viking, has been delivered with a test installation of a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.
The 47,800 tons passenger vessel, with 465 cabins to accommodate up to 930 passengers, has a hydrogen fuel cell module, with a nominal power of 100 kW, fitted on board as a test. Details of the technology, including the type of fuel cell technology employed, have not been provided.
The Viking Neptune was delivered to Viking at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona on 10 September 2022.
Viking and Fincantieri aim to develop large scale hydrogen applications. As a first step the two companies have designed an enlarged vessel configuration (to be applied to the vessels to be 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 the development of 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 able to ensure smokeless port operation and slow steaming navigation. Such systems, once finalized, could be installed on the vessels under construction and, as far as possible, retrofitted on the vessels already delivered.
“We are especially proud to welcome this newest sister ship to our ocean fleet, as it also marks a significant advancement in testing hydrogen as a future fuel for our vessels,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We look forward to welcoming guests on board the Viking Neptune next week. She is the 15th new ship we have added to our overall fleet this year, another significant milestone as we continue the celebration of our 25th anniversary.”
The Viking Neptune will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean before embarking on the company’s 2022-2023 Viking World Cruise, a journey from Fort Lauderdale to London that spans 138-days, 28 countries and 57 ports, with overnight stays in 11 cities.
In October 2022, MSC Cruises took delivery of the LNG-fuelled MSC World Europa, built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with a 50kW Solid Oxyde Fuel Cell from Bloom Energy installed. Bloom’s fuel-flexible platform is designed to generate electricity 20-30% more efficiently when using LNG than combustion-based propulsion and auxiliary engines. When running on LNG, Bloom Energy’s technology reduces carbon equivalent emissions up to 60% compared to dual fuel diesel electric systems and emits virtually zero SOx, NOx and particulate matter.
