Rolls-Royce partners with superyacht firm to move fleet to sustainable propulsion

Rolls-Royce’s business unit Power Systems is partnering with superyacht refit, repair and maintenance company MB92 Group to provide sustainable propulsion and energy management systems for the group’s global fleet of existing superyachts.

MB92 Group revealed the news on the eve of the Monaco Yacht Show (September 27–30), which kicks off today. The partnership with Rolls-Royce is part of MB92’s “Refit for the Future” service offered at the company’s shipyards in Spain and France.

The new partnership will involve the mutual sharing of system performance data, research and development initiatives, technical training, and the establishment of best practices for smooth installations.

Providing climate-friendly propulsion solutions will be key to lowering the climate footprint of the industry in a relatively short timeframe. The two partners see potential both in equipping existing yachts with environmentally friendly engines that also have particulate filters and SCR exhaust gas after-treatment and in performing retrofits with hybrid drives.

“We want to be the proactive ambassadors for a clean and climate-friendly superyacht operation, and with the alternative fuel like HVO and others, it’s easy to take the first step,” Rolls-Royce and MB92 say in a joint media statement.

Focus will initially be directed towards moving the fleet towards synthetic fuels such as BtL (Biomass to Liquid), HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) and PtL (Power to Liquid) such as e-diesel, also known as EN15940 fuels. All of them can replace conventional diesel fuel in mtu Series 2000 and 4000 engines without any adjustments – most of them are already released for EN15940 use.

HVO provides an up to 90 per cent decrease in emissions with no compromise on power output, providing the fuel is available. An existing yacht with engines that are not HVO-compatible can be refitted with modern mtu engines and thus be operated in a much more climate-friendly way than before. In parallel, both firms say they will look to integrate more advanced solutions as soon as possible in alignment with Rolls-Royce’s ongoing R&D efforts on methanol-based solutions and other innovative alternatives.

“While new-generation systems can be easily applied to new build designs, integrating next-generation systems into existing hull designs is a complex task,” says Denise Kurtulus, vice president of global marine at Rolls-Royce’s business unit Power Systems. “Our collaboration with MB92 Group, known for their expertise in superyacht refit, brings exciting possibilities for our clients.”

MB92 Group CEO, Jean-Marc Bolinger, adds: “I believe that there is great potential for those willing to take the initiative on driving progress in sustainability. The agreement further reflects our commitment to supporting the existing superyacht fleet in reducing their environmental impact. Rolls Royce’s advancements, particularly in areas such as Methanol optimisation, are really encouraging. Our role is to combine our skills to facilitate the addition of these solutions to refit worklists more regularly.”

Rolls-Royce is increasingly moving into the sustainable propulsion sector. Last year, MIN reported that Rolls-Royce had teamed up with both Sanlorenzo and Lürssen to work on specific projects to develop the use of methanol as an environmentally friendly fuel for superyachts.