Cosmos Yacht Launch at Lürssen

Three-hundred seventy-five feet (114.2 meters) is a significant size for a private yacht. The still-confidential Cosmos yacht project at Lürssen is even more significant, however, regardless of where she stacks up against the world’s largest yachts. She is the first-ever fuel cell powered superyacht.

The shipyard marked the technical launch of the project on March 8. It then moved her into a neighboring shipyard, rather than one of its own finishing sheds. The reason, Lürssen indicates, is that its own docks are either already occupied or under renovation.

the Cosmos yacht project uses hydrogen fuel cells

Little information is permitted for publicity at this time, as per the owner’s wishes. In fact, besides the history-making propulsion system, the yard can only say that the Cosmos yacht project features styling and interior design by Marc Newson. Newson, an industrial designer, has some prior experience in yachting. His first yacht project was a Riva Aquariva in 2010. Eleven years later, the superyacht Solaris debuted with exterior lines from his studio.

As for the propulsion system, Lürssen made initial mention of it in 2021. It’s a first not just for the shipyard, but also for the yachting industry. Fuel cells are on use in a wide variety of applications, from items as small as laptop computers to objects as large as industrial power plants. A fuel cell uses hydrogen or another non-fossil-fuel source to produce electricity. It therefore produces lower emissions, along with low sound and vibration, compared to a combustion engine. In fact, the only emissions with hydrogen fuel cells in particular are water.

The owner of the Cosmos yacht project is a technology lover

The Cosmos yacht project at Lürssen is employing hydrogen continuously reformed from methanol. Methanol tanks will sit low in the superyacht’s double bottom, in liquid form. Having participated in a German-government-sponsored research project for several years, the builder determined methanol “fuel” was more practical than elemental hydrogen. For example, it is available in multiple countries, so yacht owners and crew shouldn’t face challenges to replenish. Secondly, hydrogen requires pressurization or liquefying, which further requires larger tanks and associated structural equipment.

The owner of the Cosmos yacht project is, in the words of shipyard CEO Peter Lürssen, a technology lover. During an initial meeting a few years ago, the owner was quite receptive to the idea of using fuel-cell technology. It offers additional significant advantages, too. For instance, the yacht should see a range of 1,000 miles at slow speeds emission-free while relying on the system’s 1 megawatt of power. She should also be able to remain at anchor while entirely relying on it for 15 nights.

the Cosmos yacht project sees delivery in 2025

Project Cosmos should see delivery in 2025.

Peter Lürssen has noted, “My grandfather built the world’s first motorboat in 1886. My dream is to be the first to build a yacht without a combustion engine.”

Lürssen lurssen.com

Marc Newson marc-newson.com