Biofuel usage in yachting is still in its infancy, but a few owners and crews are eager to try it. The team behind the Blue Infinity One yacht is already putting it to the test. After hundreds of miles, “Customer reaction has been nothing but positive praise for the use of environmentally friendly fuel,” her captain says.
The Blue Infinity One yacht is a Mallorca-based Sunseeker 95 offering shared ownership via Meros Yachting. The flagship of the Meros fleet, she has five staterooms, including a three-level master suite on the main deck. That sets her apart from other Sunseeker 95s. She has other tailored design details, too, like a hot tub and toy stowage on the upper deck. Arguably the biggest difference, though, is approval for using synthetic fuels. In fact, Meros, Sunseeker, and Rolls Royce (maker of her MTU engines) each have been seeking low-CO2 or CO2-neutral fuel options. The twin MTU 2000 M96X engines aboard Blue Infinity One can run on these fuels.
Specifically, the megayacht has been using low-CO2 HVO, a.k.a. Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil, from Repsol. With Capt. Carlos Julia Dalmau at the helm, she started her initial tests in May. A 350-nautical-mile journey from Monaco to Mallorca, Spain was the first. Monaco—where the yacht was on hand for the Monaco Grand Prix—was a purposeful decision. The principality is prioritizing environmental protection and sustainability.
Capt. Dalmau exclusively tells us that while fuel efficiency is “very slightly reduced,” overall there’s really “no noticeable or discernible differences in the running of the engines and generators, or in the performance of the yacht, compared to regular fossil fuel.” He also says the engines are a bit less noisy, since HVO fuel consumption reportedly takes place at lower temperatures.
Additionally, he says soot and exhaust smells are much lower. “In the days of using fossil fuel, the side of the yacht would have been noticeably far more dirty and therefore much harder to keep clean,” he explains. Of course, the emissions reduction is a significant benefit, too. Repsol says its biofuels can reduce CO2 emissions by 65 to 85 percent.
Finally, all of these results have pleased the Blue Infinity One yacht co-owners and the guests. They and Meros plan to continue using HVO throughout the summer as well.
Interestingly, Meros is seeking ways to supply synthetic fuels based on cruising zones, plus further environmental measures to reduce its CO2 footprint another 10 percent.
Meros Yachting meros-yachtsharing.com
More About the Blue Infinity One Yacht
LOA: 92’1” (28.06 meters)
Beam: 21’6” (6.55 meters)
Draft: 7’0” (2.13 meters)
Guests: 10-12 in 5 staterooms
Engines: 2/2,000-hp MTUs
Range: 1,400 nautical miles at 12 knots
Builder: Sunseeker
Stylist: Sunseeker
Naval Architect: Sunseeker
Interior Designer: Sunseeker, Meros Yachting
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