Tag Archives: Climate change

Viking to Build Hydrogen-Powered Cruise Ship; Orders 2 More

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Viking and Fincantieri today announced details of the Viking Libra, the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship, capable of operating with zero emissions. In addition, the company announced a deal to build two more ocean-going ships with Fincantieri for delivery in 2031.

Already under construction at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, the Viking Libra is scheduled for delivery in late 2026.

The company’s subsequent ocean ship, the Viking Astrea, which is also currently under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2027, will also be hydrogen-powered.

While the ship is considered a sister ship in Viking’s ocean fleet, she will have a propulsion system based partially on liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells. This hybrid propulsion system will make her capable of navigating and operating with zero emissions, which would allow her to access even the most environmentally sensitive areas, the company said.

Enabled by Isotta Fraschini Motori (IFM), Fincantieri’s subsidiary specializing in advanced fuel cell technology, the ship’s state-of-the-art propulsion system will be capable of producing up to six megawatts of power.

“From the outset, we have designed our river and ocean ships thoughtfully to reduce their fuel consumption, and we are very proud the Viking Libra and the Viking Astrea will be even more environmentally friendly,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “Viking made the principled decision to invest in hydrogen, which offers a true zero-emission solution. We look forward to welcoming the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship to our fleet in 2026.”

“With the Viking Libra, we are not only delivering the world’s first cruise ship powered by hydrogen stored on board, but we are also reinforcing our commitment to shaping the future of sustainable maritime transportation,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri. “Furthermore, we are thrilled about Viking’s decision to expand its fleet with the order of two additional ships, which reaffirms the strength of our partnership and the trust placed in our expertise. This new order is a testament to our shared vision for a more sustainable cruise industry, as together we continue to set new standards for innovation and responsible shipbuilding.”

As part of the company’s commitment to continue to grow capacity, Viking and Fincantieri also today announced that contracts have been signed for two additional ocean ships for delivery in 2031 and an option for two additional ocean ships for delivery in 2033.

Based on the committed orderbook, the company expects to take delivery of 26 additional river ships by 2028 and 11 additional ocean ships by 2031. With these orders, Viking will have 110 river ships in 2028 and 23 ocean and expedition ships in 2031.

First Panamax Containership Sprints Across Arctic Reaching China In Just Three Weeks

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Container ship Flying Fish 1 is close to fully loaded. (Source: Courtesy of Peter Faas)

(gCaptain) – The first Arctic transit of a large container ship has gone off without a hitch. The 294 meter-long Panamax vessel Flying Fish 1, traveled from St. Petersburg in the Baltic Sea to China in just over three weeks, shaving around two weeks off a standard voyage via the Suez Canal. 

It is set to arrive at its destination in Shanghai early on September 26. The vessel is operated by EZ Safetrans Logistics out of Hong Kong. 

The proposition of regular summer season box shipping across Russia’s Northern Sea Route seemed impossible to most just a decade ago. This year the Arctic Ocean will see close to 20 transit voyages, all connecting Russian and Chinese ports via the Arctic shortcut.

Capable of carrying 4,890 twenty-foot equivalent containers it sets a new standard for Arctic container shipping. Prior to this summer only smaller box carriers holding around 1,500-2,000 gave the Arctic shortcut a try. Over the past three months, several larger feeder vessels have established a seasonal liner service between ports and China and Arkhangelsk and St. Petersburg.

Flying Fish 1 departed from St. Petersburg on September 3 and entered the Northern Sea Route at the top of Novaya Zemlya a week later. Shortly thereafter it crossed paths with another Chinese container ship, the first encounter of two large box carriers high in the Arctic. The nighttime rendezvous occurred just 850 nautical miles from the North Pole, with no sea ice in sight.

The vessel was able to maintain a speed of 16 knots across the entire length of the route, indicative of how Arctic ice conditions have dramatically changed over just the last two decades. Flying Fish 1 continued through the Laptev and East Siberian Sea, avoiding some late-summer ice near Wrangel Island. 

It exited from the route and passed through the Bering Strait near Alaska on September 17, without requiring any icebreaker assistance, just six days after entering the Russian Arctic.

Once complete, its journey from the Baltic Sea to Shanghai will measure approximately 8,000 nautical miles, around 4,000 nautical miles shorter than the traditional route via the Suez Canal. The current detour for most vessels around South Africa due to instability in the Red Sea adds another 4,000 miles to the standard route to Asia. 

For now, shipping services between Europe and Asia via the North remain limited to a 3-4 months summer window, but as sea ice retreats earlier in summer and returns later in winter, more operators will surely look to the Arctic for new opportunities.

Thank you to g-Captain for this article for more visit https://gcaptain.com/

AIDAprima Completes Bio-Bunkering in Partnership with GoodFuel

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GoodFuels partnered with Carnival Corporation’s AIDA Cruises and completed the first bio-bunkering on AIDAprima, according to a press release.

The AIDAprima was refuelled with GoodFuels’ sustainable biofuels during a port visit to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands as part of a seven-day cruise, visiting Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, and Zeebrugge, according to the company. Without requiring any engine or tank modifications, AIDAprima was bunkered with biofuel and continued its itineraries.

“With the successful start of biofuel usage, we have proven that gradual decarbonization is possible even on ships already in service. An important prerequisite for us as a cruise line to be able to use it is that it becomes widely available on an industrial scale and at marketable prices,” commented Felix Eichhorn, president, of AIDA Cruises.

The recent bio-bunkering appears to be just the beginning, as AIDA expects additional deliveries and a possible expansion to other Carnival Corporation brands.

 “This first bio-bunkering with AIDA Cruises marks an exciting step forward on the cruise industry’s decarbonisation pathway, demonstrating that our sustainable biofuels are a safe, technically viable and convenient option to drastically cut down emissions from passenger’s vessels. As the effects of climate change are felt acutely in several parts of the world, the time for action is now, and biofuels are one of the few options that can already make a difference today. We are delighted to have worked alongside the trail-blazers at AIDA Cruises in the past few months to make this milestone a reality, and we look forward to collaborating again in the future,” said Dirk Kronemeijer, chief executive officer, GoodFuels.