The Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri has celebrated the launch of the “Viking Libra” at the Ancona shipyard. It is the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship.
The “Viking Libra” (54,300 GT) is 239 m long and has 499 cabins with space for 998 passengers. With its propulsion system, which is partly based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells, the ship will be the world’s first cruiser to be powered by hydrogen. It will be able to sail and operate emission-free and thus also reach ecologically sensitive areas. Delivery is scheduled for this year.
Viking and Fincantieri have been working together regularly since 2012. Taking into account the ships already ordered, the contracts signed and the options agreed in recent months, the effectiveness of which still depends on the usual financing conditions in the market, the total portfolio of the two groups now comprises 26 units. Just a few weeks ago, Fincantieri and Viking decided to build further ships: Two new expedition ships are being built at the shipyard in Palermo and are scheduled for delivery in 2030 and 2031. The order is worth at least €2 billion.
The shipyard in Ancona, which employs 3,700 people, covers an area of around 360,000 m² and has a production capacity of 60,000 GT, lifting systems with a lifting capacity of up to 500 tons and a hull construction capacity of around 1,200 tons. Further investments to increase production capacity are planned. Over 20 ships have already been delivered since 2009.
