MB92 Group and Rolls-Royce join forces to propel sustainable solutions for superyacht fleet

MB92 Group and Rolls-Royce join forces to propel sustainable solutions for superyacht fleet © MB92 Group

MB92 Group, the world's leading superyacht refit, repair and maintenance company with facilities in Spain and France, and Rolls-Royce's business unit Power System, are entering a new working partnership to provide sustainable propulsion and energy management systems for the global fleet of existing superyachts. This is part of a broader push to reduce the climate footprint of the industry.

• Initial focus will be on moving existing fleet over to to synthetic fuels such as HVO
• Partners to share performance data, R&D initiatives, training programs for sustainable propulsion upgrades

The collaboration will be part of MB92's "Refit for the Future" service offered at the company's shipyards in Spain and France.

The partnership will involve mutual sharing of system performance data, research & 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 aftertreatment 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 stated.

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% 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, the partners 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.

MB92 Group CEO, Jean-Marc Bolinger, said: "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."

Denise Kurtulus, Vice President Global Marine at Rolls-Royce's business unit Power Systems, stated, "While new generation systems can be easily applied to new build designs, integrating next-generation systems into existing hull designs is a complex task. Our collaboration with MB92 Group, known for their expertise in superyacht refit, brings exciting possibilities for our clients."

MB92 Group is committed to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future for the superyacht industry. Alongside efforts to lower their own impact, "Refit for the Future" is a new service tailored for superyacht owners looking to reduce the environmental impact of their yachts, trim operating and financing costs, and protect re-sale value.

Benefits of HVO

HVO is already available to buy.

• As HVO is a drop-in fuel, no adjustments are necessary for most diesel engines that are approved for HVO use. It is advisable however, to check elastomer seals regularly in the first four weeks following a switchover to HVO.
• The storage stability of pure HVO is substantially higher than that of pure Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) biodiesel, or HVO / FAME mixtures, and even fossil diesel fuel B7. That makes HVO particularly attractive to operators of standby power systems.
• Our tests have confirmed that there are usually no differences in the released mtu common rail engines in terms of their maximum power, load acceptance and fuel consumption - regardless of whether they are fuelled with HVO or diesel.
• Depending on the fuel manufacturing process, CO2 emissions fall by up to 90%. Particulate emissions fall by over 40%. Nitrogen oxide emissions are up to 8% lower.

Source MTU