Rolls-Royce reveals hybrid superyacht with 4400nm range

While electric and hybrid cars are steaming ahead, boats have been somewhat slower to catch the green wave. Never one to hold back, Rolls-Royce hopes to change that with a ground-breaking superyacht concept boasting hybrid propulsion use natural-gas (LNG) fuel and battery power.

Introduced today during the Global Superyacht Forum (GSF) in Amsterdam, the Crystal Blue yacht and its attendant support vessel Blue Shadow have been designed to showcase fresh thinking in yacht design and propulsion.

Designed for 12+ passengers and 12 crew, the 62 metre Crystal Blue is based on a composite or aluminium hull operating a powerplant based on the Rolls-Royce hybrid LNG/Battery SAVe-CUBE system configuration.

The machinery consists of twin LNG-fuelled 16V 4000 MTU M65-N generator sets working in parallel with a battery bank to provide 1MWh of genset-free power during port stays. Two low-weight carbon Azipull thrusters provide propulsive power to achieve maximum service speeds of 20 knots.

Although LNG fuel is increasingly specified for commercial vessels, particularly coastal ferries, the size of the fuel tanks and a lack of LNG bunkering infrastructure has been a major barrier to the yacht sector embracing the cleaner, odourless fuel to date, Rolls-Royce says.

"This is where Blue Shadow comes in," explained Henrik Alpo Sjöblom, Project Manager in the Rolls-Royce Blue Ocean team.

Operating in convoy, Blue Shadow is a smaller 42 metre, remotely-controlled, steel-hulled support vessel that doubles up as the owner’s personal LNG bunkering barge.

Blue Shadow is also intended to transport and launch the mother ship’s tender, helicopter and any other ‘toys’. It also allows designers to make better use of the aft area of Crystal Blue for guests, such as by including an infinity pool, or a beach area.

"Burning LNG has clear advantages over Marine Diesel Oil for the yacht sector," said Sjöblom. "There is no smoke, it doesn’t emit any unpleasant odours or fumes and it meets stringent emissions regulations, allowing yachts to enter otherwise prohibited ecologically sensitive waters.

"We have dimensioned Crystal Blue fuel tanks for a range of 3000 nautical miles without refuelling but with the Shadow’s additional fuel capacity, the range increases to 4400 nautical miles, meaning that most of the typical yachting areas are accessible."

DYNAMIC POSITIONING SYSTEM
Crystal Blue has an intelligent dynamic positioning system which automatically controls twin azimuthing thrusters and a TT1100 bow thruster to hold station and heading. This is something we already have in the recreational boat market, although Rolls-Royce says the technology its usually found on offshore support vessels for oil rigs.

"Our ship intelligence and remote-control concepts have allowed us to design a yacht for the future that has the bridge located below the bow, inside the vessel," Levander explains.

"The crew is able to monitor and control the vessel using sophisticated sensors, cameras, display screens and situational awareness technologies; but an internal bridge frees up the traditional area of the bridge in the forward part of the superstructure to let owners and guests enjoy a panoramic vista that is traditionally only enjoyed by the crew."

The bridge console is based on the Unified Bridge design that Rolls-Royce has already delivered to a number of large superyachts. It also features technology Rolls-Royce and Svitzer demonstrated in the first remote controlled commercial tug earlier this year.

A SAFE ROOM WITH AUTONOMOUS CONTROL
The Rolls-Royce Blue Ocean team has also incorporated some novel safety features into the design, namely a ‘safe room’. In this on-board citadel, guests and crew can seek refuge in the event of an unauthorised boarding.

Once inside, the crew can override the controls and operate the yacht remotely or direct a shore-based centre to pilot the vessel.

GREEN CREDENTIALS
Announcing the development in a keynote speech at the GSF event, Oskar Levander, Rolls-Royce SVP Concepts and Innovation said Crystal Blue has been designed specifically to show how new technology can meet the yacht sector’s increased demand for higher performance, greater operating ranges and increased levels of guest comfort, without impacting the environment.

Rolls-Royce hopes Crystal Blue and Blue Shadow will more effectively showcase how new digital-based ship intelligence solutions can offer unique possibilities, greater capability and added value to the luxury yacht market, both for new and existing vessels.

"The systems and technologies now available can bring ‘green’ values and previously unheard-of levels of comfort to the yacht owner," Levander says.

"With Crystal Blue, we can show what can be achieved and how the yacht of the future might look. We can give complete freedom to yacht designers and, in so doing, better fulfil the yacht owners’ dreams."

More at Rolls-Royce.