Obsidian Superyacht: The Most Beautiful Superyacht Afloat Is Also the Greenest

At the end of last month, Netherlands-based luxury shipyard Feadship delivered Project 710 to the owner, whose identity remains a mystery. The same goes for the price of the vessel and the styling of the interiors, but Feadship compensates for the secrecy with an abundance of details on how efficient and innovative it is.

Project 710 is now officially Obsidian, a name that speaks to its sleek, ultra-elegant exterior painted in a distinctive and very memorable shade of gunmetal gray. It's not the biggest superyacht to come out from this shipyard, but it's definitely the most innovative, marking a first and very concrete step toward the goal of delivering carbon-neutral vessels by 2030.

Because of this, Obsidian is also a milestone for the industry.

As of this writing, Obsidian is the greenest hybrid superyacht, outperforming even the most optimist expectations in sea trials. On hybrid propulsion, it's able to operate with 27% less environmental impact than a yacht of the same size running exclusively on fossil fuels. When it runs solely on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, a second-gen biodiesel), that percentage goes up to 60%.

Feadship points out that these figures apply to the overall environmental impact, which includes the sum of every function that makes up the seafaring experience, from NOx and CO2 emissions to the impact of building materials, antifouling on the hull, the interior finishes, and everything that goes into the hotel functions of the vessel.

Because much of the design of Obsidian happened during the lockdowns of 2020, the team of designers, engineers, and architects worked together online. The number one ask in the brief was that this was to be a vessel more energy efficient and with an even smaller carbon footprint than Savannah, the 2015 superyacht that is the world's first hybrid luxury vessel.

To that end, the team developed the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) online, whose goal was first to identify and single out every element and function of a yacht that could be rendered in Obsidian with a smaller carbon footprint. Today, YETI is illustrative of 90% of the total lifecycle of a yacht and has been used as the basis of a Joint Industry Project by the Water Revolution Foundation, which counts over 20 partners in the yachting industry.

Aside from the diesel-electric propulsion system, there are several other things on Obsidian that help with reducing its carbon footprint. The hull is optimized for efficient cruising with help from computational fluid dynamics (CFD), as opposed to being designed for speed. This results in a low and sleek profile, which makes ample use of carbon fiber (like in the louvered aft deck overhang) for weight reduction.

Obsidian has no drive shafts and no rudders that would have increased drag. Steering is provided by a pair of Veth contra-rotating thrusters that also deliver propulsion, further upgraded to maximize efficiency and minimize vibration. Power comes from a 4.5MWh battery bank charged by four generators running on HVO.

Everything onboard this superyacht runs on electric power, and the ship itself could cruise for 35 nautical miles (40 miles/65 km) at a speed of 10 knots (11.5 mph/18.5 kph) on batteries alone. It's not a lot, but it's an important first step toward building electric superyachts. Batteries keep hotel functions running at anchor for up to 15 hours.

Speaking of hotel functions, they, too, have been upgraded to lower the ship's environmental impact. Measures include smart management of resources, pumping heat from ambient seawater, and heat capturing, including from the AC chillers, which is carbon-free since it's a by-product that would have otherwise been wasted.

Innovations are also apparent in the layout, which is further optimized due to the use of a single-level engine room. This allowed Feadship to offer an interior volume of a 100-meter (328-foot) vessel in a much shorter 84.2-meter (276-foot) one. If you're more of a numbers type of guy or gal, that's 2,55GT of interior space, which allows accommodation for 14 guests across seven suites and separate quarters for 27 crew.

RWD and MONK Design did the interiors. They're still a mystery for the general public, but Feadship promises that they match the very elegant and futuristic exterior. We do know that there's something called an Aqua Lounge near the stern, below water level, which offers panoramic views of aquatic life through floor-to-ceiling glazing and can double as a private cinema or even a classroom.

Another highlight is a dining saloon on the lower deck, accessible by means of an asymmetrical atrium staircase and featuring an entire wall of glass. Open that wall, and you get a unique vantage point, just 75 cm (29.5 inches) above water level.

Obsidian also features a fully-equipped gym and a wellness area, a packed tender garage carrying two matching fully-electric custom tenders by Tenderworks, and various relaxation and socializing areas that turn it into the perfect place to vacation with friends and family. This is one superyacht to keep an eye out for in the future.