Princess reports 20% reduction in emissions at UK factory
Princess Yachts’ Newport Street factory in Plymouth
British boatbuilder Princess Yachts has reported a 19.8 per cent reduction in carbon emissions across its Plymouth facilities, driven by increased use of renewable energy and changes to energy systems.
The figures appear in the company’s 2025 Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR) report. While the report has not yet been published, figures shared with MIN reveal that total emissions in 2025 were 8,532 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), a decrease of 19.78 per cent compared with the previous year, when they were 10,636 tCO2e.
Solar installations at two sites generated more than 2.9m kWh of electricity during 2025. This additional renewable power contributed to a 37.52 per cent reduction in electricity-related emissions compared with 2024, down from 3,010 tCO2e in 2024 to 1,881 tCO2e in 2025.
Emissions linked to natural gas and other fuels decreased by 9.12 per cent year-on-year, from 6,855 tCO2e in 2024 to 6,230 tCO2e in 2025.
Transport-related emissions fell by 45.39 per cent after changes intended to reduce fuel consumption across the company fleet, dropping from 771 tCO2e in 2024 to 421 tCO2e in 2025. Overall, carbon intensity (a measure of how much CO2 emissions are produced per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed) improved by 5.5 per cent.
Princess Yachts has also introduced energy systems designed to reduce the use of higher-emission fuels across its facilities. During the reporting period, the company’s biomass heating system generated approximately 4.4m kWh of heat. Company figures indicate this contributed to a 48 per cent reduction in heating oil consumption.
Energy efficiency measures were introduced at several sites. These include installing LED lighting and expanding a submetering programme that monitors energy consumption and highlights areas of energy loss.
Operational changes are also taking place within site logistics. Diesel-powered forklifts are being replaced with electric vehicles as part of a programme to reduce emissions from internal transport operations.
“At Princess Yachts, we are committed to creating a sustainable future for our customers, our people, and our industry,” says Will Green, CEO at Princess Yachts. “Our 2025 SECR report demonstrates meaningful and measurable progress from a step-change in renewable energy generation to significant reductions in operational emissions. We are committed to embedding sustainability into how every Princess yacht is built, while continuing to invest in innovative solutions that reduce our environmental impact.”
The company says it plans several additional energy projects during 2026. These include further expansion of solar generation capacity, continued development of biomass heating systems and additional submetering installations to improve energy monitoring.
Further LED lighting installations are also planned across several facilities. Princess Yachts says product development will also examine hull design changes, weight-reduction strategies and other technologies intended to improve efficiency across its yacht range.
