As the demand for the next generation of energy provisions on superyachts increases and new regulations require owners to ensure their superyacht is environmentally friendly, the opportunity has arisen for the industry to be more creative in their solutions.
The upcoming IMO emission regulations for 2020 is set to cut sulphur oxide emissions and limit emissions from ships to help improve air quality and protect the environment. Having already invested in complete hybrid vessels, the superyacht industry is keeping up with the regulation requirements. The importance of going ‘green’ is not being ignored - RH Marine, Feadship, Seven Turbine Power and Boskalis have joined forces in a strong partnership to introduce a revolutionary microturbine to the maritime industry.
As a result of the successful collaboration between manufacturer, electrical integrator, yard and ship owner, the new low-emission microturbine will be launched during the METSTRADE show this week. The latest innovation in hybrid technology is an evolution of the Capstone C65 microturbine and consists of a DC65-D Marine generatorset.
The 65kW turbine-generator set can run on a variety of fuels and is able to deliver a direct current to the grid. The DC power output of the microturbine is perfectly suited to integrate into hybrid-battery based systems and is highly efficient thanks to the lack of an AC to DC conversion step and the waste heat recovery functionality.
The notable benefits of the latest Capstone microturbine seek to improve comfort onboard while protecting the environment. The quiet and vibration-less operation of the turbine will be noticed onboard, as well as the low maintenance requirements. The main operational advantages of hybrid technology are its capability to function and emit low levels of pollution and emissions, thereby helping to improve the ecosystem.
Photo: Merijn de Waard / SuperYacht TimesWith upcoming projects featuring the new hybrid innovation yet to be revealed, a superyacht which features a similar Capstone turbine is the 44-metre classic schooner Lethantia. The custom-built system provides power and heat for the sailing superyacht. The stainless steel heat exchanger captures the yacht’s heat to produce hot water and allows Lethantia to operate on shore power while in the marina.
As the undisputed expert in the field of maritime hybrid energy management, RH Marine are already well invested in providing solutions to drive the adoption of hybrid energy in the superyacht industry. As an industry that relies so much on a clean and thriving planet, what is the next step in hybrid technology? “Now that we have the know-how of integrating a hybrid system onboard including energy storage system (such as batteries), it enables us to use eco-friendly power supplies. It is possible to place any power source onboard once you know how to optimally integrate energy storage into the system. We, RH Marine, already have a lot of experience with integrating power electronics and batteries. Now, we are very pleased that we can integrate such a clean power source like the microturbine into our hybrid power system.” says Michiel Post, Technical Product Manager at RH Marine.
The microturbine will be displayed and launched during the METSTRADE Show 2018 at stand 11.511 of RH Marine.