Rolls-Royce Power Systems is pursuing the goal of delivering climate-friendly yacht propulsion with maximum efficiency across the entire drive train – from the bridge to the propeller.
In its efforts to offer climate-friendly propulsion systems for yachts, Rolls-Royce Power Systems is focusing on maximum efficiency across the entire drive train – from the bridge to the propeller.
Rolls-Royce presented four new developments at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival. Among other things, a further developed mtu 12V2000Z engine with an output of 1634 kW was presented. The company also unveiled a new mtu NautIQ Bridge for yachts from 30 to 40 meters in length. With this, Rolls-Royce intends to offer a fully integrated bridge solution for large production yachts as well. In addition, Rolls-Royce is now introducing a new, even more flexible exhaust aftertreatment system in combination with the mtu Series 4000 engines. A fuel-saving POD drive completes the “From Bridge to Propeller” range.
“The aim of ‘Bridge to Propeller’ is to build and operate a large yacht as efficiently, safely, climate-friendly and cost-effectively as possible. The individual components – bridge, engine and POD – and the coordinated complete systems are designed to do just that,” says Denise Kurtulus, Senior Vice President Global Marine at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “With our unique complete offering, we have positioned ourselves extremely successfully in the yacht market.”
Rolls-Royce gains experience through acquisition by Team Italia
With the new mtu NautIQ Bridge for vessels between 30 and 40 meters in length, manufacturers, owners and crews of production yachts will now also benefit from the advantages of an integrated bridge system compared to classic bridge solutions.
The bridge platform, which is tailored to the requirements of production yachts, builds on the experience that the bridge specialist Team Italia Marine, which was acquired by Rolls-Royce two years ago, has gained in equipping large superyachts.
It integrates numerous often individually operated instruments for monitoring and operating a yacht into a single unit – from monitoring the entire drive train to navigation, weather forecasting and radio technology to the alarm system – and is prepared for the use of future systems.
“The mtu NautIQ Bridge not only represents state-of-the-art technology, it is also designed in such a way that new functions such as artificial intelligence systems can be integrated. This means that a yacht is already fit for the future of yacht control and automation,” says Christian Paolini, Managing Director and Sales Manager at Team Italia Marine.
Same size, more power
The new 12-cylinder mtu Series 2000 engine for yachts and other fast vessels offers maximum power of 1,634 kW in the smallest of spaces. The engine with the exact designation 12V2000 M96Z is 162 kW more powerful than its predecessor. The power density thus rises to a new level, because the dimensions and dimensions are virtually unchanged compared to the predecessor model 12V 2000 M96X.
To achieve these new peak values, the turbochargers have been further developed for powerful acceleration with low exhaust emissions, the crankcase and cylinder heads have been improved and new pistons have been developed. Like all mtu yacht engines, the 12V2000 M96Z is approved for operation with the sustainable fuel HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil). IMO-II- and EPA-Tier-3-recreational certifications are possible.
Denise Kurtulus recommends this fuel for sustainable yacht operation: “With this hydrogenated vegetable oil, a CO2 reduction of up to 90% is already possible. “We are convinced that there is no alternative to the combustion engine in the yacht market for the foreseeable future if you want to meet the requirements for performance and range,” says Kurtulus and emphasizes: “The fuel used is the alternative and that is currently HVO, which is now available in many ports. Many yacht captains and owners have already had excellent experiences with HVO. We have intensively tested on our test benches that mtu engines can run on it without any problems.”
In the longer term, Denise Kurtulus favors methanol, but regrets that green methanol, i.e. methanol produced using renewable energy, is not yet widely available. Kurtulus: “Rolls-Royce is continuing to work on the development of a methanol engine. “When green methanol is available as an alternative fuel in the required volume, we will have the right engine for it,” emphasizes Kurtulus. The market for such engines is currently limited to pilot applications.
POD drive saves up to 20%
The third component of the “Bridge to Propeller” concept is also designed with efficiency in mind: the POD drive. The compact drive combines a gearbox and rudder system and reportedly reduces fuel consumption by up to 20%. The POD also ensures improved maneuverability of the ship.
The combination of mtu engine and POD has already gone into series production: At the yacht show in Cannes, Italian yacht manufacturer Azimut presented its “Grande 30” model for the first time, in which such a tuned system ensures high performance, comfort and efficiency. This solution is the result of intensive collaboration between Azimut and Rolls-Royce, including extensive testing of the entire propulsion system on a special test rig at the Rolls-Royce factory.
