Rolls-Royce announces new sustainable propulsion from 2022

Rolls-Royce is set to launch a range of sustainable solutions for yachts, starting with IMO III propulsion for production yachts from spring 2022.

Along with the company announcing the first mtu-IMO-III systems for series yachts for 2022, Rolls-Royce says its mtu hybrid solutions will be on the market as of 2023, and mtu yacht engines certified for sustainable fuels as of 2023.

The first large yachts are already running with mtu systems based on the mtu Series 4000, which are certified for IMO III emissions regulations. Joining the market in April 2022 will be mtu Series 2000 propulsion systems with exhaust gas after treatment for production yachts.

“More new technologies will follow to help yacht manufacturers and operators achieve their sustainability goals and those of the Paris Climate Agreement,” says Nicola Camuffo, head of the Yacht Competence Centre of Rolls-Royce’s power systems business unit in La Spezia, Italy.

A new generation of mtu Series 16V2000M97L engines will be available with an integrated exhaust after-treatment system from April 2022. This will enable production yachts to sail in particularly protected areas, such as the North American coast. The systems use Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) units to reduce particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions. The IMO III propulsion system will be delivered this autumn and tested in a production yacht next year. Further engine variants of the mtu Series 2000 will gradually become available for IMO III operation, says Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce will initially offer hybrid solutions for production yachts with mtu Series 2000 engines and variable electric power, which will cover a power range of approximately 1,000 to 1,939 kilowatts per powertrain. The system also includes electric motors, gearboxes, batteries, control and monitoring systems and other electronic components.

Rolls-Royce’s concept for an mtu series hybrid system comprises a modular building kit with standardised components and concepts for different vessel types and sizes. For yachts, a hybrid system gives quiet, low-vibration and low-emission cruising. But in an electric operation, neither sulphur nor nitrogen oxide particles are emitted. 

mtu engines for yachts will be ready for sustainable fuels as of 2023. The yacht engines of the mtu 2000 and 4000 Series will be approved for sustainable EN 15940 fuels such as e-diesel and second-generation biofuels from 2023, enabling climate-neutral cruising.

“There will be different propulsion concepts in the future, depending on the specific needs of yacht owners, shipyards and infrastructure. We are happy to exchange ideas with customers and other experts in order to jointly drive innovations forward, for example by means of pilot installations,” concludes Camuffo.