AMELS becomes first Dutch yacht builder to meet IMO emission regulations

AMELS has become the first Dutch yacht builder to meet stringent new emissions regulations from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), after a successful test under independent Lloyd’s Register class supervision. 

The IMO, an agency of the United Nations, announced that IMO Tier II emission regulations were to be revised in order to reduce NOx emissions from superyachts back in October 2015, with IMO Tier III regulations coming into action for keels laid from 1^st January 2016.

Completing its application as the United Nations climate summit drew to a close, ahead of the enforcement deadline, tests on the generator sets of the 57.70m AMELS 188 confirmed that it complied with IMO Tier III NOx emissions limits.

Romke van der Linder, project manager at AMELS explained, “Even though we have already laid the keep for the AMELS 188, we are committed to managing power on board our motor yachts responsibly and efficiently. We are the first yard in the Netherlands that can apply for IMO Tier III certification for luxury yacht generator sets, and we will also be certifying the main engines when they arrive in February.”

Tier III, the next stage of the United Nations’ IMO nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions regulations, applies to vessels operating in North American and United States Caribbean Sea NOx Emission Control Areas (ECAs). Additional areas are expected to be designated NOx ECAs in the future. 

Currently under construction and developed together with DAMEN's research and innovation facilities, the AMELS 188 will also feature among her other features an AMELS Hybrid Power switchboard, a smart generator set configuration and AMELS Heat Recovery system in order to further reduce her ecological footprint.

Commenting on the design of the AMELS 188, Hans Konings, design manager at the shipyard said, “Our holistic design approach demonstrates not only a reduced ecological footprint, but also significant operating cost savings. It’s faster return on investment and lower total cost of ownership. The numbers stack up, and that’s what our clients want to hear."

For more information on the AMELS 188, visit AMELS.