Swiss Sustainable Yachts AG in Zurich has sold the first hull of its solar/electric/hydrogen-powered 64-foot catamaran, AQUON One. The new luxury catamaran can hold up to 10 passengers and theoretically can have an unlimited range by combining all of its renewable emissions- and noise-free power sources.
The AQUON One has 64 square meters of photovoltaic solar panels on its roof to charge its lithium-ion batteries. From there on, the cat’s green-power solution seems fairly elegant.
For the short term, the batteries provide power for twin electric motors, one in each hull, for propulsion, and to run the yacht’s systems. But excess energy from the solar panels is used to convert desalinated sea water into hydrogen gas, which is compressed to 300 bar and stored in carbon tanks for future use. When more energy is needed, fuel cells convert the hydrogen back to electricity. Perfect circle.
One of the advantages of hydrogen is that it can be stored for long periods of time, even across seasons, far surpassing the energy life of battery. Because of this large and renewable fuel source, the AQUON One provides a holistic approach to green power. The solar cells are constantly replenishing the fuel supply, and even if the sun does not shine for a while, the yacht can draw on its hydrogen tank reserve for more.
The company says that the AQUON One has an infinite range at 4 to 6 knots with sufficient sunlight. It also can run for at least three days without replenishing any electricity from the solar panels.
If conserving energy is not an issue, it can cruise at 8 knots and top out at 16 knots. Meanwhile, it does not need a generator and it is built to be completely independent of an on-shore energy supply.
Read more at http://aquon.ch and see how the system works in the video below:
