Top 100: Michael Breman Discusses Lürssen’s Fuel Cell Future

For a shipyard often in the spotlight, Lürssen doesn’t shy away from being the pioneers of a greener industry. ‘You cannot go through life today without being aware that sustainability is all around us and the aspect of life today,’ commented Michael Breman, 'we try to do as much as we can to ensure that we can be as impactless as we can.’

The recent delivery of 160m BLUE, who was built with the desire to be as environmentally friendly as possible and boasts several innovative features including a highly efficient Diesel-Electric Hybrid Propulsion Concept, showcases the shipyard’s drive to do more. ‘The whole method of production we go through great lengths to try and be as ecologically negative as possible.’

For custom yacht builders such as Lürssen, the desires of the client can at times impact the progress of making sustainable industry advancements. However, this has not recently been the case for the German yard, as Breman explains, ‘everybody is very conscious of what is going on and what needs to be done, which is very positive.'

The eco-conscious understanding of clients is evident throughout the shipyard’s developments in fuel cell technology, which, as Breman discloses, have been facilitated by a client with the desire for a sustainable yachting experience. 

Alongside its technology partner, Freudenberg of Germany, and a Government-organised programme, Lürssen’s Innovation Lab is working hard to create this innovative yacht technology, with the strive of having as little environmental impact as possible.‘The Innovation Lab is a fuel cell validation centre, the fuel cell is there, or will be there shortly… and we will simulate it as if it was on a boat.’ 

If one thing is for certain, we can expect to see a greener future of superyachts with a shipyard such as Lürssen at the helm.