Sunseeker, Rolls-Royce partner on yacht with MTU hybrid power

Jan 27, 2019 by Triton Staff

British boat builder Sunseeker International is working with Rolls-Royce to produce in 2020 the first yacht fitted with an MTU series production hybrid propulsion system.

“The combination of diesel engines and electric motors, in addition to batteries and their variable areas of application, offer yacht owners significant benefits,” said Knut Müller, head of marine and government business at MTU. “Silent cruising combined with low vibration and emission levels offer tremendous gains in terms of on-board comfort. High performance levels, efficiency, environmental compatibility and the flexibility of the propulsion system are of great interest today when operating a yacht. We believe that the focus in the future yacht industry will be more and more on smart and innovative system solutions rather than just focusing on the power output level.”

According to a press release from the Germany-based Rolls-Royce, the new Sunseeker yacht will feature the company’s integrated MTU hybrid propulsion system, consisting of two 12-cylinder MTU Series 2000 diesel engines that each deliver about 1,432 kW/1,947 hp, on-board generators, electric propulsion modules, transmission system, batteries, control and monitoring systems — all of which can be expanded on a modular basis.

The yacht will be provided with six operating modes, including the automated “smart hybrid” and “charge hybrid” modes that enable all power sources to be used as required.

In an “electric mode,” the yacht propulsion and on-board power can be supplied continuously by the generators, which optimizes fuel consumption and onboard comfort for long passages.

In “silent mode,” which uses power solely from the batteries, up to 40 minutes of propulsion and 120 minutes of onboard power are available with each pair of MTU batteries installed, with no emissions produced, according to the company.    

For more information, visit mtu-report.com.

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