On 20th August, Lürssen delivered the 110 metre project Opal, now christened Dilbar, six weeks ahead of schedule. Dilbar is the first yacht in the world with particle filters on the main engine exhausts. She has a combined diesel mechanic and diesel electric propulsion system with exhaust gas particle filters for all the generating sets and for the main engine exhaust at lower power.
This basic idea of the Lürssen green engine concept is to avoid a significant amount of emission for both generating set and main engine exhaust gases in combination with a propulsion system of high efficiency. One aim is to avoid as much exhaust gas particles as possible at anchor and while manoeuvring in harbours, anchorages, bays or at slow speed operation near the shore line. This target is akin to the efforts to reduce diesel exhaust gas particles in cities and populated areas.
All four generating sets are equipped with diesel exhaust particle filters, which take out more than 95 % in weight of the soot particles. These generating sets supply the power for the hotel load and for four azimuthing thrusters. With only the thrusters, the yacht is able to run at a comfortable speed and make the most of its quietness and its capability for dynamic positioning.
In addition to the cleaning of the exhaust gases of the generating sets the exhaust gases of the main engines can be treated up to a load of 1000 kW for each engine.
The combination of diesel electric propulsion (by the gensets and the thrusters) and conventional propulsion with CPP (Controllable Pitch Propellers) has the benefit of having the high efficiency of a diesel mechanic propulsion system for long distance trips. Built to the rules of Germanischer Lloyd, Dilbar reaches a top speed of 21 knots.