Superyacht refit customers at MB92 Group shipyards have two more sustainable options at their disposal. Firstly, existing diesel engines can swap out for hybrid propulsion. Secondly, every customer, regardless of hybrid or traditional propulsion packages, can switch to alternative fuels instead of diesel, without the need for costly changes.
MB92 Group, which has facilities in Barcelona, Spain (above) and La Ciotat, France (below), has partnered with MTU’s parent company Rolls-Royce Power Systems for the efforts. They’re part of MB92’s Refit for the Future service, which is for owners seeking more sustainable solutions. Together, the companies will share system performance data and R&D initiatives. They’ll further cross-train workers and create best practices methods to make installations smoother for customers.
Already, MB92 Group shipyards and of course MTU have experience with more sustainable equipment. Particulate filters have been common aboard superyacht engines for some time, for example. Additionally, the IMO’s Tier III emissions standards has led to the installation of SCR tanks aboard superyachts, to treat exhaust gas. Furthermore, MB92 has refitted yachts with hybrid propulsion. In a joint statement with MTU, the management team says, “We want to be the proactive ambassadors for a clean and climate-friendly superyacht operation.”
Besides changing equipment, the refit shipyards are offering customers biofuels like HVO and symthetic fuels like e-diesel. MTU has tested a variety of each in its Series 2000 and Series 4000 powerplants, which dominate the megayacht market. What’s more, the engines require no adaptations, and the fuels meet European Union standards. According to MTU, carbon-dioxide emissions decrease up to 90 percent without loss of power or speed. (This depends on the fuel’s manufacturing process, however, it cautions.) Yet more benefits, particulate emissions drop upwards of 40 percent, and nitrogen-oxide emissions fall up to eight percent.
Meanwhile, superyacht customers with older MTU engines that aren’t HVO compatible do need to upgrade their propulsion package to take advantage of the alternative fuel. In the meantime, the companies are exploring more alternatives, like methanol. Rolls-Royce Power Systems has been researching and developing methanol-based systems for a few years.
While new-generation systems can be easily applied to new-build designs, integrating next-generation systems into existing hull designs is a complex task,” notes Denise Kurtulus, Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ vice president of global marine. “Our collaboration with MB92 Group, known for their expertise in superyacht refit, brings exciting possibilities for our clients.”
MB92 Group mb92.com
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