The materials were also chosen with an eye on reducing maintenance and repetitive tasks for the yacht’s staff, so traditional materials like teak decks and wooden handrails are out, and composite alternatives are in. The diesel-electric power plant works alongside a battery storage system that allows Leviathan to operate for long stretches with no emissions, and it also features an advanced wastewater treatment system.
On the one hand, it’s nice that mr Newell seems to be reducing the footprint of their luxury yacht above and beyond most of what I have heard happens in the rest of the luxury yacht industry. On the other hand, I shudder to think of what the footprint for the manufacturing of this custom-designed, one-of-a-kind luxury yacht looked like. Not to mention ‘composite’ usually means some sort of plastic, so now there’ll be one more thing spewing microplastics directly into the ocean…
To be fair: the Emission free battery electric part is actually worse than burning diesel, unless taken from a grid or used in low power operations. If you use it to circumvent fuel Emission standards it’s good. If you use it with regular fuel while entering a harbor it’s good for the local environment while being bad for the global. (Overall probably good, in that case)
Since a yacht would have a lot of idling while chilling at sea it’s probably a net good.
Well I’m sure that they can charge it when docked. Would be idiotic if they didn’t factor that in, given how much time yachts spend docked.
And marine diesel engines also usually run at a fairly steady speed, they don’t really get revved up. The big ones anyway, I mean. In diesel-electric systems you can run the diesel engine at its most efficient speed to power the electrical system which is what actually moves the ship.
So I think it’s a net good… compared to a straight diesel yacht. But obviously the better option would be no yacht.
On the one hand, it’s nice that mr Newell seems to be reducing the footprint of their luxury yacht above and beyond most of what I have heard happens in the rest of the luxury yacht industry. On the other hand, I shudder to think of what the footprint for the manufacturing of this custom-designed, one-of-a-kind luxury yacht looked like. Not to mention ‘composite’ usually means some sort of plastic, so now there’ll be one more thing spewing microplastics directly into the ocean…
To be fair: the Emission free battery electric part is actually worse than burning diesel, unless taken from a grid or used in low power operations. If you use it to circumvent fuel Emission standards it’s good. If you use it with regular fuel while entering a harbor it’s good for the local environment while being bad for the global. (Overall probably good, in that case)
Since a yacht would have a lot of idling while chilling at sea it’s probably a net good.
Well I’m sure that they can charge it when docked. Would be idiotic if they didn’t factor that in, given how much time yachts spend docked.
And marine diesel engines also usually run at a fairly steady speed, they don’t really get revved up. The big ones anyway, I mean. In diesel-electric systems you can run the diesel engine at its most efficient speed to power the electrical system which is what actually moves the ship.
So I think it’s a net good… compared to a straight diesel yacht. But obviously the better option would be no yacht.
This is the entire point of capitalism. The greatest system ever. Literally enslaving humanity and destroying the planet…
“composite” is also one of the default materials in modern boat building (fibreglass)
That’s more common in new high-end luxury yachts, it’s a benefit to the guests as well (prob the main motivation?).