News item

Motor Yacht becomes the first in the world with micro turbine, equipped by RH Marine

Equipped by RH Marine, the yacht will become the first motor yacht in the world with a micro turbine for its on-board power generation. This makes the refitted yacht cleaner, quieter and more comfortable, while it can meet the strict emission standards in all ports and coastal waters. The motor yacht is being completely rebuilt by a Dutch superyacht builder, the yacht has been completely stripped and the hull has been renewed and reinforced. Recently the Dutch superyacht builder has started rebuilding the yacht into a state of the art motor yacht with the latest technologies.

The Capstone DC-65-D Micro Turbine

One of these new technologies is the Capstone DC 65-D Micro Turbine DC generator, supplied by maritime system integrator RH Marine for the on-board power generation. This micro turbine runs at a very high speed, thus producing less vibrations and noise than a conventional diesel generator. Moreover, it is relatively small and light weighted and takes up little space on a yacht.
In comparison with a conventional diesel generator, the micro turbine requires very little maintenance. There is only one rotating part that is air-bearing. This makes several systems unnecessary, such as lubricating oil and cooling water, that require maintenance in case of a diesel engine.

Another enormous benefit is that the turbine has lower emissions than conventional generators. As a result, it can meet the strict IMO Tier-III emission regulations which come into force in an increasing number of ports and coastal waters. “For yacht owners, it is very important that the micro turbine is clean, otherwise they are not allowed in various ports or coastal waters in Europe and the US,” explains Technical Product Manager Michiel Post of RH Marine.

Micro turbines are widely used in the aviation and offshore industry. The reason they have not been installed on yachts before is that there has been no marine certification so far. RH Marine has adapted the micro turbine in such a way that it has been approved by Lloyds Register for maritime use. “Together with Seven Turbine Power we form a consortium that is the only one that can supply a micro turbine with marine certification. That gives us a leading position in the market,” says Post.
The micro turbine is now slightly pricier and uses slightly more fuel than a conventional diesel generator, but that is more than offset by lower maintenance costs.

RH Marine has developed the revolutionary micro turbine for the maritime industry in a partnership with Seven Turbine Power, Boskalis and a Dutch superyacht builder. It can run on a variety of fuels, such as marine gas oil and LNG, and can be integrated with hybrid battery packages that RH Marine supplies to yachts. In combination with its own Energy Management System, this can lead up to 10 percent of fuel savings.