Viking and Fincantieri have revealed the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship is under construction, with Viking Libra set for delivery in late 2026.
The 54,300-ton vessel, capable of hosting 998 guests, will have a propulsion system that is partially based on liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells, making it capable of navigating and operating with zero emissions. The advantage of this is that it would be able to access some of the world’s most environmentally sensitive areas.
The fuel cell technology on board will be capable of generating up to 6MW of power for onboard use and has been made possible thanks to the expertise of Fincantieri subsidiary, Isotta Fraschini Motori (IFM). At the same time, Viking Astrea is also under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2027. This too will be hydrogen powered as well.
