Rolls-Royce and the Ferretti Group intend to equip the Italian shipbuilder’s new yachts with MTU hybrid and IMO III propulsion systems.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems and the Italian [ds_preview]Ferretti Group are intensifying their cooperation and jointly developing sustainable solutions for future yachts. A first important milestone is the cooperation to install an MTU hybrid propulsion system from Rolls-Royce in a new Ferretti yacht.
Rolls-Royce will reportedly supply a fully integrated hybrid MTU propulsion solution with an output of approximately 1,432 kW per powertrain, comprising two 12-cylinder Series 2000 M97 diesel engines, electric propulsion modules, transmissions, batteries, control and monitoring systems, other electronic components and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to comply with IMO III regulations.
IMO III mtu propulsion pilot project for production yachts
A yacht of Ferretti’s Custom-Line 106 will be equipped with an MTU propulsion system this year as a pilot installation, which is IMO-III compliant and enables sailing in particularly protected areas (ECA zones such as the North American coast, the Caribbean, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea). According to the engine manufacturer, the SCR exhaust gas aftertreatment, which is supplied by Rolls-Royce with the 16V2000-M97L MTU engines as an integrated system, significantly reduces particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions.
From the beginning of 2021, all MTU engines for Ferretti yachts will be delivered with the digital MTU Go solutions. This will enable yacht operators to monitor the engines remotely themselves or leave this to the MTU Customer Care Center. In future, operator data can be evaluated and recommendations for action can be derived to improve engine performance and availability, and maintenance can be planned.
Customers are increasingly asking for sustainable solutions
Alberto Galassi, CEO of the Ferretti Group, and Andreas Schell, CEO of the Power Systems Division of the Rolls-Royce Group, signed the agreement on September 8, 2021 in Cannes during the Yachting Festival.
“We are delighted to bring new high-tech solutions to the market with our long-standing partner Ferretti Group,” said Andreas Schell. For yachts, a hybrid system offers high performance and a considerable gain in comfort – with quiet, low-vibration and low-emission driving. A hybrid drive system is a response to the stricter emissions regulations in many ports and regions around the world. In all-electric drive mode, no sulphur, nitrogen oxide or particulate emissions are emitted.
According to Rolls-Royce, customers in the yacht industry are increasingly asking for sustainable solutions. Rolls-Royce intends to certify its 2000 and 4000 engine series for fuels such as e-diesel and second-generation biofuels from 2023, thereby enabling climate-neutral driving. In addition to the use of sustainable fuels, the company is also building on new technologies such asCO2-free fuel cell systems.
