Rolls-Royce and EST-Floattech confirm superyacht battery order

Rolls-Royce Power Systems and EST-Floattech have signed a contract to supply the hybrid propulsion pack for a 76m (250ft) Turquoise Yachts superyacht (pictured as project).

Hamburg-based lithium battery producer EST-Floattech confirmed the ‘Green Orca 1050’ battery for the yacht is expected to be delivered next year. The vessel is currently under construction in Turkey.

“Rolls-Royce Power Systems and EST-Floattech will work well together,” said Walter van der Pennen, CEO, EST-Floattech. “Both companies are setting milestones on the road to climate-neutral shipping with the approved Series 2000 and Series 4000 mtu marine diesel engines, respectively the approved and DNV-certified Green Orca 1050 batteries.”

The batteries will supply the yacht’s Rolls-Royce Power Systems mtu hybrid propulsion system with 1,512 kWh of battery power. The vessel is scheduled to enter service in 2025.

The propulsion systems deliver cruising speeds of up to 8 knots when in all-electric mode. Electric propulsion produces no carbon emissions and creates minimal sound, according to EST-Floattech.

The partnership also covers about 33 lithium polymer battery modules of the ‘Green Orca 1050’ series for nine hybrid ferries for Italian operator, Liberty Lines.

Earlier this year, Italian yacht builder Sanlorenzo and Rolls-Royce also signed an agreement to build a superyacht with a methanol engine propulsion system using “green methanol”. Powered by two methanol-fuelled engines, the San Lorenzo yacht is expected to be delivered in 2026.

The agreement was announced during the Cannes Yachting Festival and is part of Sanlorenzo’s ‘Road to 2030’ sustainability plan.