TECHNOLOGY
THE BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION OF BOATBUILDING – AND THE WIDER MARINE INDUSTRY – IN OUR LIFETIME IS UNDER WAY, WITH THE DRIVE TO ELIMINATE CARBON EMISSIONS AND USE COMPOSITES THAT CAN BE RECYCLED INTO A NEW B OAT. RUPERT HOLMES VISITS THOSE YARDS SPEARHEADING THE CHANGE
Imagine a future where you could buy a standard production yacht which is built not from virgin fibres, toxic resin, and fitted with teak or plastic decks, nor propelled by a noisy engine fuelled by noxious heavy oil, but instead one crafted from natural products, which runs silently, emission-free and with very little carbon footprint. And where, at the end of the yacht’s life, you could trade it back in with the builders so they could separate the fibres from the resin and recycle it into a new boat.
That future is here and now in 2023. Thanks to years of research and development from some of the largest yards, your yacht of tomorrow is already available today – you maybe just didn’t realise it.
Whether crossing an ocean, or enjoying a sunny afternoon in local waters, the sense that sailing is an activity that takes us closer to nature is a strong one. Yet the vessels that provide this experience are the product of a sizable polluting industry. Fortunately that situation is now changing quickly and two of the world’s largest boatbuilders are already making big steps towards producing more sustainable yachts.
At the same time, some of these changes will make yachts cleaner and quieter, with the potential for longer periods of autonomy when cruising long distances. A step-change was already in evidence at last year’s International Multihull Show, where a number of new catamarans sported solar arrays with outputs of several kilowatts – enough to feed almost all the hotel loads of these power-hungry vessels (enough to run a modest house in fact), with the exception of air conditioning and hot water.
However, this is just a first – and easily achieved – step in a rapidly evolving transformation. During that edition of the show Fountaine-Pajot announced its Odysséa24 strategic plan, which the firm has deployed for all its brands to become carbon neutral by 2030. The first stage was informed by an independent study that shows the overwhelming majority – 80% – of the yard’s carbon emissions stem not from manufacturing processes, but from the use of its yachts during the first 20 years of their life.
Just a few months later Groupe Beneteau announced its own plan to move to building its entire range from new more sustainable materials by 2030. This includes resins that can be recycled into a new yacht, achieving the holy grail of a circular economy. Electric propulsion ��
