Feadship Delivers 84m OBSIDIAN: The Future of Superyacht Sustainability

OBSIDIAN was built with the intention to be even more energy efficient than SAVANNAH, Feadship’s ground-breaking hybrid yacht launched in 2015. Through hulls optimised at cruising speed, weight control, advancements in electric propulsion, and the ability to run engines on HVO, a non-fossil diesel fuel which reduces carbon emissions by 90%, OBSIDIAN represents the future of sustainable yachting solutions. She has 4.5 times more electrical storage capacity than SAVANNAH along with no draft shafts or rudders, preventing added drag. Whereas SAVANNAH and LONIAN operated on 560 volts, OBSIDIAN is a 1000-volt system as she is fully powered by electricity. 

A key focus for fuel savings onboard OBSIDIAN is capturing “waste” heat to use for other purposes. Waste heat is captured from the generators and from the AC chillers themselves, the AC being the largest consumer of energy. This energy is essentially carbon-free as it reuses incidental heat generated by another function. Mark Jansen, Project Manager, has recognised the success of energy saving onboard OBSIDIAN: ‘There are so many points of energy savings integrated on this yacht that it is hard to count’. 

An innovative heat pump system which transforms thermal energy from one place to another is used to pull heat from various sources. According to Jongepier, it is five times more efficient than making heat with a regular electrical heating coil. A computer system onboard helps to choose the appropriate combination of sources which translates into a number of operational modes. 

OBSIDIAN’S hull form contributes to the advanced sustainable nature of the yacht. She has a low, slim hull optimised at cruising using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Carbon fibre has been effectively used for weight reductions, a complex engineering method which also offers new deck layout possibilities. 

The volume of OBSIDIAN is typical of that on 100m Feadships. The single level engine room leaves more scope for interior layout, and she features a total of seven staterooms. Her bold and modern exterior translates to the interior design, both penned by RWD in collaboration with MONK Design. From a spectacular Aqua Lounge to an observation lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views, the interior design of OBSIDIAN is just as impressive as her advanced sustainability. 

Bram Jongepier, Senior Designer at Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects, developed a sustainability index, which became known as YETI: the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index. This is a guide which shows how all of a yacht’s operations and components contribute to its carbon profile and environmental impact. This shows how Feadship goes further than just reducing CO2 emissions by addressing the overall environmental impact of its vessels. This tool is significant in relation to OBSIDIAN as it can show just how much of a step forward she is with regards to sustainability, showcasing the success of Feadship’s environmental developments. 

YETI operates on the philosophy that one cannot control what one cannot measure. The algorithms describing the environmental impact of individual components, for instance CO2 emissions, have been made freely available by Feadship to the signatories of the Water Revolution Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to driving sustainability in the superyacht industry, resulting in a Joint Industry Project (JIP) under the flag of the Water Revolution Foundation.

The YETI JIP produced a tool that is able to predict the environmental impact of an operational year in the yacht’s lifecycle. Using this tool, it is estimated that OBSIDIAN will operate with 27% less total environmental impact than a similar size yacht launched just five years ago if run on fossil fuel, and 60% less when using HVO. 

Superyachts.com would like to congratulate Feadship on the successful delivery of this ground-breaking yacht.