SeaDream Innovation Advances Sustainability at Sea
SeaDream has received a grant for $1.8 million for the creation of the revolutionary vessel from Enova, an organization owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment that is responsible for the promotion of environmentally friendly production and consumption of energy.
The 500-foot, Polar Class 6 megayacht SeaDream Innovation will be constructed and outfitted at Damen's Mangalia shipyard in Romania, with work to begin in October. The 15,600gt vessel will have capacity for 220 passengers and will sail globally from 2021.
She will be equipped with a large battery pack of approximately 4MWh to enable sailing silently and without emissions for up to three hours. The hybrid system will reduce local emissions by supporting the diesel generators in “peak shaving mode,” reducing fuel consumption. The yacht will be able to sail to sensitive areas such as the Norwegian fjords and along the ice edge toward the North Pole because of this system. The batteries also bring an added degree of safety, acting as “spinning reserve,” which in the event of a motor shutdown switches instantaneously to the use of batteries without loss of power.
“Batteries have entered the maritime sector, but until now, there has been little experience to show in practice, especially in cruise ships,” said Enova's CEO Nils Kristian Nakstad. “When it comes to electricity production of surplus heat, land-based industry has shown what is possible, but at sea, such solutions are currently used very little. We depend on more people developing and using these technologies the world needs.”
SeaDream Innovation will also install an Organic Rankine Cycle machine that takes waste heat from the engines and converts it to electricity. This can produce up to 150kW of electrical power, which would otherwise have been wasted energy, and instead reduces fuel consumption and results in lower emissions.
Where available in port, SeaDream Innovation can be plugged into shoreside electrical grids using a multi-voltage shore connection system.
The mega-yacht has four modern diesel engines and a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system for reducing NOx emissions to meet the most stringent IMO rules, with engines rated to meet the latest and most stringent MARPOL Tier III limits. SeaDream Innovation will be equipped with two podded propulsors providing the highest efficiency and maneuverability.