Rolls-Royce Power Systems and superyacht repair and maintenance company MB92 Group are to enter a formal working partnership to provide sustainable propulsion and energy management systems for the global fleet of superyachts.
This is part of a broader push by both companies to reduce the climate footprint of the industry, and will be part of the ‘Refit for the Future’ service by MB92’s shipyards in Spain and France. The new partnership will involve mutual sharing of system performance data, research and development initiatives, technical training, and the establishment of best practices for smooth installations. Providing climate friendly propulsion solutions will be key to lowering the climate footprint of the industry in a relatively short timeframe. The two partners see potential both in equipping existing yachts with environmentally friendly engines that also have particulate filters and SCR exhaust gas aftertreatment and in performing retrofits with hybrid drives. A joint statement by both organisations expressed the desire to be proactive ambassadors for a clean and climate friendly superyacht operation that should prove relative simple with alternative fuels like hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) and others.
Focus will initially be directed towards moving the fleet towards synthetic fuels such as BtL (Biomass to Liquid), HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) and PtL (Power to Liquid) such as e-diesel, also known as EN15940 fuels. All of them can replace conventional diesel fuel in mtu Series 2000 and 4000 engines without any adjustments – most of which are already released for EN15940 use.
HVO provides an up to 90% decrease in emissions with no compromise on power output, providing the fuel is available. An existing yacht with engines that are not HVO-compatible can be refitted with modern mtu engines and thus be operated in a much more climate-friendly way than before. In parallel, the partners will look to integrate more advanced solutions as soon as possible in alignment with Rolls-Royce’s ongoing R&D efforts on methanol-based solutions and other innovative alternatives.
Denise Kurtulus, VP Global Marine, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “While new generation systems can be easily applied to new build designs, integrating next-generation systems into existing hull designs is a complex task. Our collaboration with MB92 Group, known for their expertise in superyacht refit, brings exciting possibilities for our clients.”
MB92 Group CEO, Jean-Marc Bolinger, said: “I believe that there is great potential for those willing to take the initiative on driving progress in sustainability. The agreement further reflects our commitment to supporting the existing superyacht fleet in reducing their environmental impact. Rolls Royce’s advancements, particularly in areas such as Methanol optimisation, are really encouraging. Our role is to combine our skills to facilitate the addition of these solutions to refit worklists more regularly.”
MB92 Group’s ‘Refit for the Future’ is a new service tailored for superyacht owners looking to reduce the environmental impact of their yachts, trim operating and financing costs, and protect re-sale value.
According to Rolls-Royce, the benefits of HVO are:
- HVO is already available to buy.
- As HVO is a drop-in fuel, no adjustments are necessary for most diesel engines that are approved for HVO use. It is advisable however, to check elastomer seals regularly in the first four weeks following a switchover to HVO.
- The storage stability of pure HVO is substantially higher than that of pure Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) biodiesel, or HVO / FAME mixtures, and even fossil diesel fuel B7. That makes HVO particularly attractive to operators of standby power systems.
- Tests have confirmed that there are usually no differences in the released mtu common rail engines in terms of their maximum power, load acceptance and fuel consumption – regardless of whether they are fuelled with HVO or diesel.
- Depending on the fuel manufacturing process, CO2 emissions fall by up to 90%. Particulate emissions fall by over 40%. NOx emissions are up to 8% lower.
