Leading Dutch shipyard Feadship has announced it has completed a major milestone in its roadmap towards carbon neutrality. This week, Feadship achieved an ‘approval-in-principle’ from Lloyds Registry for an ‘agnostic’ fuel system. This is a core part of the shipyard’s plan to build a carbon-neutral superyacht by 2030 as this fully integrated fuel system enables Feadship motor yachts to store both non-fossil paraffinic fuels (e.g. HVO, SAF and e-diesel) and alcoholic fuels (e.g. bio- and e-methanol or ethanol) at full capacity.
“The crucial next step [in yacht building] is that we need a flexible or agnostic fuel system, which means it has to work with the fuels of today but also those of tomorrow, as we’re not yet talking of just fuel cells for propulsion purposes,” said Giedo Loeff, head of R&D at Feadship in a statement to the press.
Sustainable Fuel Technology for Yachts
This new flexible fuel system on board the Feadship motor yacht will allow owners to maximize a variety of fuels on board, as Feadship will be integrating dual- and single-fuel engines and fuel cell solutions into its new-build projects, as well as for refits and conversions. These systems will be assessed using the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) tool for insight into overall efficiency, fuel consumption, shore power use and annual emissions.
The evolution of fuel systems requires a change in the design and layout of the Feadship yachts, as the storage systems form an integral part of the vessel’s structure.
“Our announcement is significant because as of now Feadship plans to build yachts with tanks and systems that are certified for a whole array of non-fossil fuels,” said Giedo Loeff. “Besides meeting the growing desire of our clients for carbon neutrality, it will help to minimize the environmental impact of our yachts wherever they may cruise in the world.”
Feadship Motor Yacht PURE
Feadship’s commitment to sustainability is most recently evident in the concept for 82m hybrid motor yacht PURE. The design has been future-proofed to consider the developments in sustainable technology that will influence the yacht industry in the coming years. PURE is designed by Jan Schaffers and Tanno Weeda with De Voogt Naval Architects.
When PURE was first unveiled in September 2021, Jan Schaffers, designer at Feadship, discussed the concept.
“PURE is not a flight of our collective fantasy. From the awesome open-plan spaces to the future-compatible propulsion and lower deck command center, the Studio De Voogt design team have worked closely with the Knowledge & Innovation department and engineering experts at Feadship as well as current and new suppliers to ensure each solution proposed is realistic and would work in practice now.”
In modern yacht building, ‘hybrid propulsion’ usually refers to a combination of diesel direct and diesel-electric propulsion. The motor yacht PURE, on the other hand, is an energy hybrid, with diesel-electric propulsion receiving energy from batteries and liquid fuel. Three scenarios are envisaged for a vessel such as PURE: delivery in 2024 and two upgrades in 2027 and 2030, respectively.
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Images of PURE concept courtesy of Feadship.
