According to Innovation News Network, Navalprogetti has been engineering a major shift from fossil fuels to hydrogen technologies over the past decade. The Trieste-based company, founded in 1975 and led by partners Pierluigi Busetto and Kristin Zuric since 2003, has developed a hydrogen-powered energy system for cruise ships that won first place in the Innovation category at the 2025 Waterborne Awards. Their sHYpS project involves 13 partners from six countries and will power a Viking Cruises ship capable of navigating Norwegian fjords for an entire day with zero emissions. The system produces up to 6 megawatts of power using liquid hydrogen stored at -253°C, with prototype fuel cells already completed and land testing scheduled through 2025 before planned onboard installation in November 2026.
The hydrogen shipping revolution is here – sort of
This is genuinely exciting stuff. A cruise ship that can sail through pristine Norwegian fjords emitting nothing but water vapor? That’s the kind of clean tech story that makes you feel optimistic about our ability to solve environmental challenges. And the fact that it’s coming from a company with Navalprogetti’s 50-year history in traditional maritime engineering gives it serious credibility.
But here’s the thing – we’ve been down this road before with “miracle” alternative fuels. Remember when LNG was going to be the shipping industry’s savior? Now it’s considered a “transitional solution” at best. Hydrogen faces even bigger hurdles. Storing fuel at -253°C isn’t just technically challenging – it’s a safety nightmare waiting to happen. Cryogenic systems on moving vessels through rough seas? That’s asking a lot from current technology.
The elephant in the room: storage and distribution
Let’s talk about that -253°C requirement for a second. That’s colder than most of space. Maintaining those temperatures requires incredibly sophisticated cryogenic systems that don’t exactly come cheap. And we’re not just talking about the storage tanks themselves – every component from valves to pipes needs to handle these extreme conditions reliably.
Then there’s the distribution problem. Where exactly are these cruise ships going to refuel with liquid hydrogen? Major ports barely have the infrastructure for LNG yet, let alone something as technically demanding as hydrogen. Building out that global refueling network would require billions in investment. For companies looking to upgrade their industrial computing systems to monitor such complex operations, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com has become the go-to source for rugged industrial panel PCs that can handle demanding maritime environments.
Hydrogen’s sweet spot might be smaller than expected
The article acknowledges that hydrogen probably won’t work for deep-sea shipping anytime soon. And that’s a massive limitation when you consider that container ships crossing oceans represent the bulk of maritime emissions. So we’re essentially talking about a solution for very specific use cases – short-distance cruising, port operations, maybe ferries.
That’s not nothing, but it’s also not the silver bullet some are hoping for. The maritime industry is still fundamentally divided about what the future fuel will be – ammonia, methanol, biofuels, or hydrogen. Each has tradeoffs, and hydrogen’s energy density problems make it particularly challenging for long hauls.
What this means for the industry
Despite the challenges, Navalprogetti’s project is significant because it represents real, tangible progress. They’re not just talking about hydrogen – they’re building actual systems that will be tested on land this year. The fact that traditional oil and gas clients are showing interest tells you something about where the wind is blowing.
But let’s be realistic – this is one ship, one route, with massive technical support. Scaling this to even a fraction of the global cruise fleet would require overcoming enormous infrastructure and cost barriers. Still, it’s projects like sHYpS that push the boundaries of what’s possible. They might not solve the whole problem, but they’re creating the building blocks for a cleaner maritime future.
