Croatian shipbuilder Brodosplit, part of the DIV Group, has laid the keel for a zero-emission electric passenger sailing ship.
The keel for the electric sailing ship, the so-called three-masted schooner, was laid at a ceremony held at the firm’s yard in Croatia on 27 October.
The vessel will be 63.50 meters long and 10 meters wide, with a height of 5.35 meters to the main deck. The hull and superstructure will be made of steel and the masts of aluminum alloy.
When not under sail, the ship will be powered by two 150 kW electric motors, each fed by a system of batteries continuously charged from different sources. The vessel will be equipped with 15 tons of batteries with a maximum capacity of 1800 kWh, but due to legal requirements, it will also have two diesel generators that will be turned on only when needed or in emergencies, according to the company.
The design and all technical solutions are entirely the work of Marine and Energy Solutions DIV project designers.
The firm stated that there will be one vertical wind turbine at the bow and stern that will supply the ship with electricity when it is in port and the sails are lowered.
Furthermore, a photovoltaic solar system will be installed on the roof of the superstructure. The ship will therefore be supplied with electricity and water from completely renewable sources and will obtain all its energy without any CO2 emissions.
“What distinguishes this electric sailboat from similar vessels is the fact that the ship also charges its batteries while sailing, in a very sophisticated way. In addition to the system of wind turbines, water turbines, and solar panels, a system of ship propellers with variable pitch and a special blade geometry is used, which serves as a water turbine when sailing,” according to Brodosplit.
This “reversible propeller” will charge high-power batteries in the lower deck. In addition, all information on board will be collected and controlled on the bridge.
During the domestic tourist season, the vessel will sail the Adriatic along the coasts of Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece, and out of season in the Caribbean and other tourist destinations.
Work on the project started in February 2020 and was co-financed by the EU funds call ” Increasing the development of new products and services arising from research and development activities – phase II “.
The project aims to research, develop and build an eco-innovation in the form of a sailing vessel for optimal 24 passengers, for which alternative propulsion technologies and energy sources have been developed based on an environmentally friendly design.
To remind, in August this year, Brodosplit signed a construction contract Miami-based Storylines for the construction of the world’s first private residence ship that will be powered by LNG.