The owner of The Elding, means lightning, Vignir Sigursveinsson informed that the hull needs a fresh coat of paint and a make-over with some spit and polish. He added that the red ship will be transformed into the world’s first hydrogen-equipped commercial vessel. With this Iceland would become the first nation to break free from the constraints of fossil fuel.
It is said that The Elding would be open to visitors in April to get a taste of that future by taking whale-watching tours aboard the ship, or it would be rented or used as powered hire cars. Initially it was decide to use The Elding as a fuel cell to power the engine that runs its lighting, but now it can be used for whale-watchers for 43 euros ($62.26) a trip.
It would help the visitor to listen whales swim or blow water as The Elding’s main engines could be shut down without any hassle. It is fact that hydrogen machine can make the boat a complete soundless and that would make the experience of watching whales in their natural habitat even more magical, says Sigursveinsson.
Jon Bjorn Skulason, head of Icelandic New Energy, said that the venture is an experiment to find out whether the fuel could work at sea. It would become essential if Iceland wants to convert its fishing fleet, one of the world’s largest. He added that the present society will be quite well prepared to accept this technology on a larger scale.
According tot him a survey showed 93-percent public embrace hydrogen as a fuel. He informed that hydrogen may work for whale-watching but it is challenging for long distances traveled ships.
