Showcase

A milestone in the road towards a zero-emission yachting industry

Name of the yacht:
Savannah
Year of launch:
2015
Length:
83 meter
Yard:
Koninklijke de Vries
Project scope:
Integrated bridge
Dynamic postitioning
AMCS
full electrical installation
Batteries
EMS

In 2015, Feadship launched the hybrid, eco-friendly superyacht ‘Savannah’. This new benchmark in yachting propulsion technology features an eco-friendly blend of single diesel engine, three gensets, batteries, propeller, azimuting thrusters and a streamlined hull shape. This new configuration, designed and build by RH Marine, saves up to 30% fuel compared to conventional installations. From that day onwards, hybrid technology onboard superyachts would take flight.

Premier performance thanks to hybrid configuration

Taken as a whole, the package offers major benefits in terms of fuel saving and consists of five modes: maneuvering, diesel-electrical, range, high speed and boost. This guarantees a high level of reliability and a better engine load than any other superyacht afloat today. “It is not the individual technologies used on Savannah that are new in the yachting world – it is the way they have been combined,” comments the owner’s project manager, Ted McCumber.

MY Savannah during the launch at Koninklijke de Vries Shipyard
MY Savannah sailing in open sea
MY Savannah in port
Rhodium Integrated bridge supplied by RH Marine
Maintain position with a Dynamic Positioning system

Batteries combined with the Rhodium EMS

“Savannah is a yacht full of premiers,” emphasises Feadship director Henk de Vries. “As the first ever hybrid superyacht, she offers incredible flexibility in operations and loading of the power plant. The result is fuel savings of some thirty per cent compared to the best boats that we have launched up to this point.”

The powerplant onboard was complimented with a 1MW battery and a DC distribution system. To control and optimize the powerplant to its full benefits, the system is controlled by the Rhodium Energy Management System (EMS). “Our energy management system optimizes energy generation by operating the diesel generators at their most efficient point, made possible by the batteries,” RHM consultant Despoina Mitropoulou.

In 2015, Mitropoulou also spoke of remaining challenges. “The trade-off between power plant capability and weight/volume is one. But we see that the leisure industry is a real driver for hybrid systems development. Our clients realize that hybrid is the future. For every project the hybrid design solution is on the table—it’s here to stay.”

2015 until now

And she was right: Since that moment an increasing number of luxury superyachts were delivered with a battery solution and Energy Management System. Over the last 7 years, RH Marine alone has already supplied storage solutions for more than a dozen yachts. Storage technology is increasingly becoming more efficient and the control systems are getting more sophisticated.

Future of hybrid technology onboard yachts

We expect the share of hybrid systems to continue to rise in the coming years. We also expect to see even more alternative configurations. One of the examples of this is a system which RH Marine has supplied for another yacht. Here, batteries were combined with a mictroturbine to allow even further emission reductions.

Contact us if you would like to discuss further options for energy reductions such as battery solutions, the Rhodium EMS or alternative ways of energy generation.

 

This showcase has been inspired on the press release Feadship published on the 25th of januari 2015 during the launch of MY Savannah.