Gates doesn’t want them – the first hydrogen superyacht will be a slow seller

The Feadship 821 is almost 119 meters long – which offers space for a lot of luxury. The superyacht has 14 balconies and seven fold-out platforms where you can dive into the sea. On the owner’s deck there are two bedrooms with two bathrooms, several dressing rooms, a gym, a living room and two offices, which even have fireplaces. A whirlpool also invites you to relax. There is even an elevator in the ship.

Hydrogen is stored in a huge tank at -253 degrees
But the truly unique thing about the new yacht can be found in the engine room. The ship has a 92 cubic meter hydrogen tank in which the gas is stored at -253 degrees Celsius. The tank is up to ten times larger than would be needed for the energy equivalent of diesel fuel, because it must be double-walled for safety reasons.

The fuel can be converted into electricity in 16 fuel cells. According to the manufacturer, the ship should be able to remain in port for a week without emissions or sail at a speed of ten knots (about 18.5 km/h) for a much shorter period. The hydrogen is therefore intended to supply electricity for consumers such as heating or air conditioning. “Delivering this electrical energy via environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel cells will have a rapid and significant impact,” Feadship is confident.

ABB pod drives for longer journeys
For longer journeys there are also 3200 kilowatt ABB pod drives that run on HVO fuel. This synthetic biofuel would reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent. HVO is made from vegetable oil.

Environmental activist Gates is said to be afraid of criticism
Despite these more environmentally friendly features – compared to a conventional superyacht – Microsoft founder Gates apparently doesn’t want it anymore, even if he even commissioned it. There is speculation about the reasons for this: it is believed that the prominent environmentalist could be afraid of criticism. Despite the hydrogen technology, the carbon footprint of such a huge yacht is enormous, which could damage Gates’ image. The already purchased yacht Wayfinder, which was intended as a dinghy for Project 821, is also for sale.

According to media reports, the price tag for the floating innovation is $600 million. However, the sale is done discreetly; In this price range, only a limited group of wealthy potential buyers are eligible.