Fincantieri Floats for Viking "First Hydrogen-Powered Cruise Ship"
Fincantieri marked another milestone in cruise ship development as it floated out the Viking Libra (54,300 gross tons), which is being billed as the “world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship.” It advanced the ambitions for zero-emission shipping and the long-held vision of Viking CEO Torstein Hagen to produce a hydrogen-powered ship.
According to the companies, the project has been developed with strong attention to environmental aspects to ensure the ship will be capable of navigating and operating with zero emissions, allowing it to access even the most environmentally sensitive areas. The Viking Libra will have a propulsion system based partially on liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells.
The project was announced in April 2025 as the next step in the work between Fincantieri and Viking on advancing future technologies. It is being fitted with fuel cells producing up to six megawatts of power, equivalent to roughly 8,000 horsepower of generator capacity. The PEM fuel cell technology and related equipment are supplied by the Fincantieri subsidiary Isotta Fraschini. To solve the supply chain problems of hydrogen bunkering, it uses a containerized fuel storage system to load and store the fuel.
Viking believes the project will illustrate a path forward for the industry to address environmental concerns. They noted last year the high price for H2-powered operations, while saying they believed it would come down over time. The Viking Libra, which is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2026, is scheduled to be followed by the Viking Astrea, which will also be outfitted with the hydrogen system.
The companies report they have consistently worked together to design, deliver, and operate environmentally friendly cruise vessels. In November 2022, they delivered the ninth cruise ship, Viking Neptune, which was equipped with a small hydrogen fuel system for onboard power. They said the system would be used as a test to determine how hydrogen fuel could be developed at a larger scale in future newbuilds.
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Fincantieri said the system on the Viking Neptune was an experimental hydrogen fuel cell module that would provide a nominal power of 100 kW. The cells are low-temperature PEM-type fueled with hydrogen gas and room air. They set as a goal the next step of achieving a hydrogen generation system with a total power of approximately six to seven MW, which will be achieved with the Viking Libra.
Viking recently expanded its orders with Fincantieri, which has already delivered 11 ocean cruise ships that Viking has in operation, as well as two expedition cruise ships. The company ordered two more expedition cruise ships and placed an option for two additional ocean cruise ships. Fincantieri is currently building three ocean cruise ships for Viking, including Viking Libra, as part of 10 committed orders for cruise ships and an additional four options before the latest agreement.
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