12 May 2024 , 10:58
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The world’s first-ever hydrogen-powered superyacht has hit the waves, after five years in the making - but it comes with one major drawback.
The posh, 119-metre-long, eco-boat - named Project 821 - costs £515million to buy and boasts all the luxuries of a modern superyacht including a pool, jacuzzi and a gym. The stunning vessel also boasts offices onboard, and balconies overlooking the sea, as reported by What’sTheJam. The innovative invention owned by Edmiston was built to be emission-free, bringing in a new era of green technology to the world of boats.
The vessel - designed by yacht designers RWD - will cruise between harbours and anchorages to operate as a hotel. The research and development team at Amsterdam-based company Feadship were researching hydrogen in an effort to achieve the company's pledge of creating net zero yachts by 2030.
The vessel - designed by yacht designers RWD - will cruise between harbours and anchorages to operate as a hotel (Jam Press/Feadship)And now, despite hydrogen fuel cell-powered motors and fuel cells being used for spaceflight for more than six decades, this is the first time they will be used in the maritime industry. To safely store the hydrogen on the 100 metre-sized super yacht, the vessel required a double-walled cryogenic storage tank.
However, in one major one drawback, for the super-green Project 821 cannot carry enough liquid hydrogen to power a crossing. However, it is perfect to generate enough electricity for one hotel load. The yacht also features the most efficient waste heat recovery to ever be developed, this heats everything from the pool and jacuzzi to the guests' bathroom floors.
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The stunning vessel also boasts offices onboard, and balconies overlooking the sea, (Jam Press/Feadship)Feadship Director and CEO of Royal Van Lent Shipyard, Jan-Bart Verkuyl, said: "The aim has been to develop a new, clean technology not just for this project, but for the world. The value of the research as well the development of class and flag safety regulations for an entirely new type of energy generation is an advancement we are proud to have made available to all. We have now shown that cryogenic storage of liquified hydrogen in the interior of a superyacht is a viable solution.
“Future innovations on fuel cells and onboard reforming of methanol to hydrogen are on the near horizon. For Feadship, the bottom line is that the decarbonization of Feadship's upstream process such as our extensive use of aluminium produced in a more environmentally sensitive way and the production of net-zero carbon-free fuels or hydrogen carriers deserves utmost priority."
The vessel required a double-walled cryogenic storage tank to safely store hydrogen (Jam Press/Feadship)Edmiston chief executive, Jamie Edmiston, said "The brief was to build the greenest and most environmentally advanced yacht ever built, without compromise. It was a huge challenge, but one that the team has embraced and delivered on. The yacht we see today, designed by RWD and built by Feadship, is without doubt the best yacht ever built. I am proud to have been involved since the inception of this idea.”
RWD director Charlie Baker said “RWD are immensely proud to have been involved in such a forward-thinking project, as a collaboration alongside Feadship and Edmiston. We hope it inspires other projects to think differently in the future”.