Smart energy concepts and sustainable materials used on new and existing yachts, in order to minimize their impact on the environment and climate. Currently, fuels of the future and various sustainable materials are being researched.
Left and below: Ethereal’s owner Bill Joy launched his project with a “charrette” – a three-day symposium at the shipyard’s facilities, attended by the world’s leading academics in all the disciplines that might conceivably have a bearing on his project. Below: Bill and Shannon Joy’s Ethereal was launched by Royal Huisman in 2008. The world’s first hybrid superyacht is noted for her pioneering propulsion system and for incorporating 500kWh of stored energy in her Li-ion battery bank (below, left).
Ethereal has since logged several hundred thousand miles traversing the oceans. She can be propelled by sail, by mechanical propulsion, or be powered by her stored energy source. In addition to the sailing systems and anchoring functions, her entire domestic load can draw its power from the same set of Li-ion batteries. Click here to learn more about Ethereal and also Elfje (see also following paragraph). Or use this link to find the article “On board with Bill Joy”.
Project 392, Elfje (left and below), incorporates an iteration of the hybrid technology that was inspired by Ethereal. Whereas Ethereal’s ground-breaking hybrid system focuses on propulsion and power management, Elfje interprets “hybrid” as generating power via variable speed, variable output generators backed up by a Li-ion “peak shaving” power storage bank and energy management system.
Left: exciting high performance and exceptional fuel efficiency for project 403, PHI. At the start of this motoryacht project, the shipyard team was well aware that the fresh challenges posed by PHI’s brief – not least keeping her displacement below 500GT – would need to be addressed within a highly robust and efficient innovative framework. With success: her naval architect, Perry van Oossanen, says of her energy consumption: “PHI is 30% more efficient than a traditional 500GT motor yacht.”
Project 404 (left and below) will be the next high-achiever in terms of low fuel consumption. Her twin, fixed pitch, pulling propellers for optimized efficiency are directly connected to permanent magnet motors. The units are part of the swing retractable, redundant electric azimuthing propulsion system. Project 404 will be able to motor in true silent – stealth mode – operation, using only her batteries, so that an early morning silent departure from a peaceful anchorage is possible. Click here to learn more.
Left: secretive visual of project 410, the 85m / 280ft New World Sloop that Royal Huisman is in the process of engineering. The sustainability objective of her owner will be met in a variety of ways. The innovative technology qualifies for the new Lloyd’s “Hybrid Power” certificate as the yacht will be capable of regenerating energy during sailing. A huge 2-megawatt battery bank facilitates silent and fumeless propulsion. This ensures ultimate comfort with maximum redundancy and sustainability. Wherever the technology permits – or can be adapted to permit – project 410 will be future-proofed.
Foftein (1999) and Juliet (1993) have been transformed as a result of a conversion from conventional to hybrid power generation. The work was carried out by Royal Huisman’s Huisfit. Both yachts received the ultimate systems upgrade with leading-edge propulsion technology and power generation. The onboard experiences with the new hybrid propulsion and energy system following the conversion by Huisfit can be accessed via this link.
The centerpiece of Foftein’s hybrid conversion is a new gearbox, aligned with a sophisticated new electric motor / generator. Are you sailing a superyacht with 20th century technology? And keen to embrace all the latest hybrid technology benefits? Learn more at www.huisfit.com/greensolutions [click here].
