Rolls-Royce recently announced agreements with yacht/shipbuilder Lürssen as well as luxury yacht manufacturer Ferretti Group that include sustainable propulsion solutions, plus received an order from Turkish yacht builder Turquoise Yachts for a hybrid solution to propel its new mega yacht.

Rolls-Royce and Lürssen announced at the Monaco Yacht Show that they are working together on projects such as the propulsion of a Lürssen yacht using mtu methanol engines. Rolls-Royce noted it is developing a methanol engine based on the mtu Series 4000 that features a lower flash point than the diesel version and is ignited using a spark plug, similar to a gasoline engine.

The two companies will focus on yachts 75 meters long and above, which they said offer significant potential for being powered by methanol, including ideally green methanol produced using renewable power sources. The companies noted the primary challenge for naval architects and shipbuilding engineers is that methanol has a lower engine power output compared to a diesel engine of equivalent size and weight, necessitating larger tanks that consume more hull space.

“Our customers want to dedicate as…