Drift Energy's 'Most Valuable Yacht' Concept Will Produce and Store Green Hydrogen at Sea

Hydrogen fuel might not be the ideal solution for small applications like automobiles just yet, but it definitely is seen as a great solution for making the yachting world a bit greener. More and more reputable shipbuilders like Feadship, Sunreef Yachts, and Lürssen Yachts have already entered the hydrogen space and are developing vessels with innovative propulsion systems for a more sustainable sail.

Joining these visionary yacht-building companies and their eco-conscious clients, Drift Energy has revealed an all-new sailing catamaran concept called "Most Valuable Yacht," or MVY for short, touted as the first in a "new class of true green, fuel-generating vessels."

Drift Energy, a forerunner in the development and production of green hydrogen technologies, has teamed up with catamaran support specialists ShadowCAT for the development of the new 190-foot (58-meter) sailing cat, aiming to bring the design to the leisure market.

MVY is envisioned as a megawatt-class yacht capable of producing green hydrogen at sea, storing it, and then delivering it to the mothership or to ports around the world for use as a power source.

Drift Energy has already tested its green hydrogen technologies on an 18-foot purpose-built hydrofoil sailboat last summer. The so-called "flying yacht" successfully produced green hydrogen gas in sea trials over the waves off the coast of Essex. Now, the company is employing the same principles on the Most Valuable Yacht, which is said to be capable of producing more than 154 tons of green hydrogen a year.

To achieve this, the sailing catamaran is equipped with turbines that capture the kinetic energy of the sails and store it onboard as "green hydrogen." The readily available seawater is basically used as the raw material for electrolysis. Commercial-grade tanks onboard the vessel will hold the hydrogen, and once these are full, the MVY transports it to a designated location to offload.

"The vast majority of the world's renewable energy is over the oceans, so what better way to harvest it than using sailing vessels?" commented Ben Medland, founder and CEO of DRIFT Energy. "As the UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 (GSDR) shows, there has been a regression in climate action in recent years, especially in carbon-heavy industries like marine, so we think it is time to add another, sustainable way to accelerate the much-needed reversal."

Currently, the demand for hydrogen production is on a growing trend worldwide, with modern yacht owners looking for opportunities to make their yachts more sustainable. The ability to produce and store this zero-carbon fuel will make Drift Energy's new vessel a really valuable asset in the marine industry indeed. It is a unique green fuelling solution for hydrogen-powered superyachts, allowing owners to support their vessel's energy needs without affecting the environment.