Feadship has launched the first superyacht with zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cells at its Amsterdam yard. The legendary Dutch builder says this is the first hydrogen-powered superyacht in the world and represents five years of R&D. It’s 390-feet long and called Project 821.
The hydrogen fuel cells can’t power the yacht across the Atlantic, but they can provide enough power to run the hotel load (including heat, air conditioning and other amenities) for a week without introducing any noise or carbon emissions.
“The aim has been to develop a new, clean technology not just for this project, but for the world,” said Jan-Bart Verkuyl, a Feadship Director and CEO of the Royal Van Lent Shipyard. The new yacht, he said. “showcases the pinnacle of modern technological advancements.”
The new Feadship’s cryogenic fuel tank holds four tons of hydrogen in 16 compact fuel cells with switchboard connection to the DC electrical grid. The only exhaust from hydrogen power is pure water, but the vent stacks for the escaping water vapor added 13 feet to the yacht’s overall length.
Courtesy of Headship
The superyacht industry estimates that about 75 percent of a yacht’s total energy use in a year is to supply the hotel load. Supplying that energy with clean hydrogen fuel cells can have a significant impact on the environment.
The problem that Feadship faced in designing the yacht was how to store compressed liquid hydrogen below deck on a luxury yacht. Hydrogen itself is light, but storing it requires a double-walled cryogenic storage tank, basically a well-insulated cooling box in a dedicated room. It takes eight to ten times more space to store hydrogen than the energy equivalent in diesel fuel.
Aside from the history-making hydrogen fuel cell situation, Project 821 is a remarkable yacht. It has five decks above the waterline and two below, and can hold 30 guests in 14 staterooms with 44 crew. The owner’s deck above the bridge is an apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, two offices, a fireplace and a living room.
The yacht is represented by Edmiston. Price: $647 million.
Read more at https://www.feadship.nl/press/feadship-ushers-in-the-fuel-cell-era-with-the-launch-of-118-80-metre-project-821
