Azimut staged a press convention on the Cannes Yachting Pageant centered on its efforts to scale back environmental influence by reducing CO2 emissions.

The shipyard offered the outcomes of its efforts, licensed by an impartial scientific panel, and the brand new targets to be pursued with its companions: the Politecnico di Torino, Eni Sustainable Mobility, Lloyd’s Register and Superyacht Eco Affiliation, a non-profit organisation created by the Yacht Membership de Monaco and Credit score Suisse. Milestones in Azimut’s inexperienced path embody the primary gasoline cell examined on board, the primary hybrid yacht and a fleet of Low Emission Yachts that emit as much as 30 per cent much less CO2 than comparable boats with shaft line propulsion.

Giovanna Vitelli, Chair of the Azimut-Benetti Group, mentioned: “We don’t simply await the options of the longer term, however we mix tomorrow-oriented analysis with at present’s concrete solutions, validating our analysis with the most effective scientific and certification our bodies.” 

Its strategy includes the seek for options to fossil fuels, an exercise carried out by the Group’s R&D division, which includes scouting and testing of options starting from biodiesel to artificial fuels. The need to guage which answer could possibly be instantly relevant and efficient with a scientific and goal technique led the shipyard to contact the Power Division of the Politecnico di Torino and Professor Massimo Santarelli, professor of Superior Power Programs on the Piedmont college and the KTH Royal Institute of Know-how in Stockholm.

The Politecnico, drawing on the expertise gained within the automotive and aviation sectors, carried out an impartial, intensive research on different fuels for the pleasure boating business. The research analyses HVO biodiesel, methanol and hydrogen, evaluating their effectivity, security, availability and prices in a brief and medium-term horizon.

Introduced by Professor Santarelli, the outcomes highlighted some great benefits of biodiesel in comparison with methanol and hydrogen. Inexperienced or artificial methanol, the kind efficient in lowering CO2 emissions, is an possibility that can’t be carried out within the quick time period resulting from essential points associated to manufacturing and distribution, however could possibly be promising in a long run. Grey methanol, then again, has the next life cycle footprint than conventional diesel. Hydrogen represents a distant different as a result of complexities of storage and protected administration on board.

“Right this moment, biodiesel is the one viable different to fossil gasoline and at present the simplest to contribute to the decarbonization of the pleasure boat sector,” Professor Santarelli mentioned.

HVO biodiesel is at present among the many most mature options, prepared for instant and sensible use, as adoption doesn’t require important adjustments to the storage or propulsion system. The research by the Politecnico di Torino underlined the Group’s current collaboration with Eni Sustainable Mobility, the Eni firm devoted to accelerating the trail in direction of mobility carbon neutrality. The settlement, introduced in June, includes changing the gasoline used for sea trials, technical assessments and transfers of prototypes and newly produced boats – roughly 700,000 litres in complete per 12 months – with HVOlution.

The Eni biofuel is made out of renewable* uncooked supplies and reduces CO2 emissions by as much as 90 per cent in comparison with the reference fossil combine, relying on the precise uncooked supplies used for its manufacturing**. The R&D division of Azimut-Benetti Group was the primary to extensively check the HVOlution biofuel to be used within the nautical sector. Azimut additionally used biodiesel in particular laboratory assessments of the brand new Magellano 60 which, through the summer time, sailed within the Mediterranean powered by HVO.

The assessments recorded a discount in well-to-wake CO2 emissions of greater than 80 per cent in comparison with a yacht of comparable measurement powered by fossil gasoline.

Azimut-Benetti collaboration with Lloyd’s Register and SEA Index

After 20 years of analysis to scale back CO2 emissions, the shipyard is observing important development within the relevance of emissions as a discriminating issue within the buy of a yacht. This development highlights the absence of standardised, clear info that permits homeowners to gather, learn and examine knowledge and rankings, that are sometimes supplied within the automotive and actual property industries.

The group has began to collaborate with Lloyd’s Register and the Superyacht Eco Affiliation, which by means of the SEA Index calculates the CO2 emissions of yachts from 25-100m and past. In September, Azimut turned a company member of the SEA Index to help the affiliation within the definition of an goal carbon emission index that allows comparability for yachts below 24m.

Azimut, along with Lloyd’s Register – one of many principal classification our bodies within the maritime sector – has realised a consumption and CO2 emissions certification plan in commonplace circumstances.

Based mostly on the assessments carried out with Azimut yachts and a database built-in with the shipyard’s findings, Lloyd’s has developed a comparability index for the Superyacht Eco Affiliation which expresses CO2 emissions in relation to the amount of the boat and the reference velocity (g CO2/GT.NM), knowledge held by all shipyards and simply detectable throughout a sea trial.

The index has important standards and may change into some extent of reference for producers, technicians and specialists within the sector.

Natalie Quévert, Normal Secretary of the Superyacht Eco Affiliation, mentioned: “SEA Index was created to mobilize the sector to undertake concrete interventions to scale back CO2 emissions. Due to the partnership with Azimut, SEA Index can even certify yachts below 24m, with the ambition of reaching a lot of homeowners to begin an unprecedented motion.”

Azimut has laid the foundations to create a brand new, extra acutely aware part of the nautical business to scale back the environmental influence. It’ll progressively certify all new boats with the intention of creating consumption and emissions knowledge accessible for session. The brand new ambassadors of the shipyard’s inexperienced route, the Seadeck 9 and the Grande 30M, are among the many first fashions concerned within the programme.

The Seadeck 9 has been introduced because the third Seadeck mannequin representing the primary collection of hybrid yachts for households and probably the most environment friendly ever created by Azimut, attaining a discount in CO2 emissions of as much as 40 per cent, between navigation and time spent at anchor, in comparison with a conventional flybridge boat of comparable measurement.

The Grande 30M, previewed through the press convention in Cannes, marks a brand new stage within the shipyard’s collaboration with ZF. This mode would be the first geared up with the brand new POD 4900, developed by Azimut in partnership with ZF.

Marco Valle, CEO of the Azimut-Benetti Group, mentioned: “Lower than one 12 months in the past, I introduced the Group’s need to contain the nautical world within the improvement of an goal index to match consumption and emissions. Right this moment, because of the collaboration with Lloyd’s and SEA Index, that device exists. The Azimut yachts in Cannes are displayed with their key influence knowledge, licensed by a 3rd social gathering and shared with homeowners in addition to the general public.”

* Pursuant to EU Directive 2018/2001 “REDII”.

** Based on the traditional criterion of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 “REDII”, the discount in CO2eq emissions of the HVOlution alongside the logistics-production chain in 2022 was between 60% and 90%, in comparison with the combo reference fossil (i.e. 94g CO2eq/MJ), relying on the uncooked supplies used for its manufacturing.

This text was first printed on yachtstyle.co

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