In July 2026 the team took the prototype LH2 storage system through its full ground-test campaign at CENERGY’s new facility in Staranzano – a decisive step before installation aboard Viking Libra.
In July 2026 the sHYpS project reached one of its most important milestones to date: the successful completion of the on-land test campaign on the liquid-hydrogen storage system. The campaign was carried out at CENERGY’s new dedicated test facility in Staranzano (GO), near Trieste, in close collaboration with the CHART VRV and CHART Ferox teams, and under the supervision of Navalprogetti, the University of Trieste, Viking Ocean Cruises and Lloyd’s Register.
The work was built up in careful stages. The system was first commissioned with liquid nitrogen, to confirm that all equipment, valves and sensors were working correctly in a controlled, lower-risk environment. The storage tank was then conditioned with gaseous hydrogen and filled with liquid hydrogen. With LH2 on board, the team moved on to the performance tests: the thermal insulation of the cryogenic storage tank was assessed, and the system’s intended shipboard operation was reproduced at a scaled capacity simulating at same time the Fuel Cell operation profiles.
The value of testing on land, before anything goes to sea, is straightforward – it allows to find and fix problems early. Given the novelty of the prototype and the complexity of the system, this preliminary campaign was essential: a chance to identify any issue with the equipment and its functioning ahead of installation on the cruise ship, and to resolve it in advance rather than at the quayside.
Over the course of the campaign, the team encountered some difficulties, such as with sensors functioning and nitrogen leaks. Each was investigated and successfully mitigated, at no point allowing the safety of the activity to be compromised. That is exactly what an on-land campaign is for and the rigorous way these situations were handled is a credit to everyone involved.
The next step is to complete the installation of the equipment aboard Viking Libra and to carry out the onboard test campaign, which will take place over the coming months, as the ship moves toward becoming the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship.
To everyone who spent these weeks in the field and behind the scenes: thank you. This milestone is yours, and it brings the whole project one significant step closer to the sea.
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