Applicability of Hydrogen Fuel for a Cruise Ship

Cruise ships function as a means of transport while simultaneously accommodating thousands of guests, providing a holiday experience with various entertainment options. This translates to high energy requirements for propulsion and hotel operations, typically covered by the combustion of fossil fuels. The operation of cruise vessels with fossil fuels contributes to carbon dioxide and also local harmful emissions in ports when shore power connections are not available. To enable cleaner and sustainable cruising, alternative technologies and fuels must be adopted. The present study evaluated the applicability of hydrogen fuel in combustion engines in a Meraviglia-class cruise ship. The fuel consumption of the ship was based on a real operation in Europe. This study examined how fuel energy in the form of LH2 could be stored on the ship for a European cruise route and concludes that 3700 m3 of storage space would be needed to accommodate the liquid hydrogen. The mass of the LH2 would only be one-third of that of fossil fuels, but the weight of the LH2 tanks would most likely increase the total weight of the hydrogen storage. Additional new technologies and combined power production could significantly reduce the amount of LH2 to be stored.