Built by the German company Lürssen Yachts, the ship will be equipped with hydrogen fuel cells, but will use a particular method to store the fuel.
Yachts are the prerogative of the wealthy. Extravagant and luxurious, they also have the reputation of being particularly polluting, especially with regard to carbon dioxide emissions. If it is out of the question for some to change their way of life, it is possible to make efforts by abandoning fossil fuels to adopt more ecological solutions… At least, on paper.
A project anchored in the future…
The ship, called Cosmos, is almost 115 meters long and is equipped with a hydrogen-powered engine. As this gas is tedious to store in small volumes, Lürssen Yachts has chosen to use methanol instead. Liquid at room temperature, it is made up of molecules of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, and it is quite possible to recover the latter to power the fuel cells of the device.
The remainder can then be recovered to reconstitute methanol. The German manufacturer is betting on the future of the sector, which plans to recover CO₂ thanks to carbon capture techniques, and hydrogen thanks to renewable energies. This fuel could be used to power the batteries that could power the cars, boats and planes of tomorrow.
… but who is riding the wrong wave
However, the balance is not particularly positive, as methanol is currently synthesized 52% from natural gas, 45% from coal and 3% from biomass. Production methods that are not devoid of greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, if this ship can claim to be less polluting than others, its impact on the environment in operation will remain very significant. Considering this, as well as the energy spent on its construction, it is rather easy to see in this project a greenwashing (greenwashing) unfortunately very common around the projects of many billionaires and large companies.
The Cosmos will have an announced autonomy of 15 days when anchored, or more than 1,500 km when cruising slowly, all without any direct CO₂ emissions. Welcoming a swimming pool and a notch at the rear ready to accommodate a smaller ship, it will also be equipped with a helipad. The height of irony, you say? Due for delivery in 2025, it was commissioned by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa.
This one is not a stranger, since he bought, in 2018, a flight on the SpaceX Starship bound for the Moon. The name of this mega-yacht is therefore rather evocative, and it is not very surprising to find a sky observation dome on its roof, just to wait in the middle of the oceans before changing stars. To complete the picture, the ship was designed by Australian designer Marc Newson, who had helped develop the look of the Apple Watch.
Source : Electrek
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