Top players in the global yachting industry are constantly looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint of their creations. German luxury boatbuilder Lurssen is one of the companies that have been at the forefront of innovation in this regard, and their latest Project Cosmos emission-free megayacht is proof of that.
Project Cosmos, previously known as Project 13759, is one of the largest yachts currently under construction, and the shipyard’s first build to feature fuel cell technology on board, which will allow it to operate with minimal environmental impact.
Work on the 375-foot (114.2-meter)megayacht(longer than two Olympic swimming pools) started in 2020, and Lurssen has reached an important milestone in its construction – it has just completed the technical launch of the vessel from its facility in RєɴԀsburg, Germany.
Lurssen has been known to be involved in research projects aimed at employing fuel cell technology on motor yachts since 2009. Moreover, it has been operating a methanol-hydrogen fuel cell power ρłɑɴt since 2012. Last year, the shipyard launched the Innovation Lab, a demonstration center where the shipyard explores and tests alternative propulsion systems for yachts, including the integration and operation of a Marine Hybrid Cell Fuel System on board a vessel powered by methanol. Besides zero emissions, the benefits of fuel cell technology include quick refueling and low noise operation.
Photo: Lurssen/YouTube
Commissioned by a Japanese owner, the Project Cosmos motor yacht has been designed to become one of the most luxurious yachts in the world. It is also the first to feature this groundbreaking fuel cell technology onboard.
As Peter Lurssen, the CEO of the German boatbuilder, explained on a previous occasion,”Fuel cells have very little maintenance and are more efficient than a diesel engine, which is already a very efficient way to produce power.”He also said that the fuel cell technology would allow the yacht’s owner more than 15 nights emission-free at anchor or over 1,000 miles (1,609 km) of emission-free slow cruise.
Not many details about the Project Cosmossuperyachthave been known, aside from the fact that it has an interior volume of about 6,300 GT and a 59-foot (18-meter) beam. We also know that it features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure and that Apple designer Marc Newson is the one handling the exterior of the hydrogen-powered megayacht. Newson’s previous works include the 458-foot (139.7-meter) Solaris, a gargantuan superyacht that was built by Lloyd Werft and was delivered in 2021.
This is actually the first time that Project Cosmos is shown publicly, and the images reveal that the vessel has an explorer-style profile with the superstructure positioned forward, creating a generous aft deck that will house a swimming pool and an unusually large cut-out, which will probably serve to host a large tєɴԀer. In true explorer style, we can also observe an oversized foredeck that will likely include a helipad. By the looks of it, the four-deck superyacht will also feature a 360-degree viewing area, like some kind of observation pod.
Photo: Lurssen/YouTube
Besides themassive sizeand unusual shape, the most noteworthy feature of Project Cosmos remains its cutting-edge hydrogen powertrain that leverages green fuel cell technology. This is an important industry milestone that could mark the beginning of an emission-free era for the yachting sector.
It’s also worth noting that, instead of using liquid hydrogen stowed in large tanks, the Lurssen-designedpowertrainuses methanol to produce hydrogen. Methanol is a readily available biodegradable and widely used chemical, it is easy to handle and store, and it is a valuable source of hydrogen.
Considering water is the only waste produced by this groundbreaking fuel cell technology, superyachts employing it can cruise emission-free.
Obviously, the Project Cosmos megayacht is still very much a work in progress, with a couple of years to go until its expected delivery in 2025. However, the available images and videos already give us a scope of its size and unique design.
Over the coming months, Lurssen will be hard at work outfitting thesuperyachtin a neighboring facility. That’s because the German shipyard’s own docks are currently either occupied or undergoing structural modernization work.
