The German shipyard Lürssen has been continuously pioneering in the sector of sustainable yachting, announcing the sale of the first superyacht with fuel cell technology in April 2021. Since then, Lürssen has built an on-site fuel cell Innovation Laboratory at the shipyard in Bremen, where the fuel cell can be tested under real environmental conditions and with all the necessary auxiliary systems. This demonstration facility is intended to verify the new technology and is thus the final preparation for successfully bringing fuel cells on board a yacht. The energy generated will be used to supply one of the construction halls with electricity. This show season the shipyard made further progress, announcing a further partnership with Rolls-Royce MTU for the further development of methanol as an environmentally and climate friendly fuel for yachts.Lürssen and MTU believe that the use of green methanol is the best option for the future of the yachting industry, particularly for yachts over 75 metres, with which Lürssen specialise. The fuel is created by taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it using renewable energy sources, resulting in a fuel with a truly ‘net zero’ footprint.

Daniel Chatterjee, Director of Technology Management & Regulatory Affairs at Rolls-Royce’s Power…