Duffy London unveils 44m silent solar-powered motor yacht

Duffy London, a UK design firm specialising in eco-friendly creations, has unveiled concept renderings for a luxury 44m motor yacht that’s powered by solar energy. 

The Solaris Global Cruiser, penned and constructed by Duffy London, boasts a hybrid propulsion system comprising of six electric motors that draws power from a solar energy system, with an alcohol turbine generator that is used to give additional bursts of power and speed.

In a statement on their website, Duffy London explained, “With our yacht, you can cruise silently at great speeds over great distances, as you would a sailing yacht. But unlike a conventional sailing yacht, you are not at the mercy of wind and weather conditions dictating your speed and direction.

“Made using state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, it has an extremely strong and light hull, shell and interior. This combined with the very latest in battery and solar technology, creates a superyacht that could possibly never require refuelling.”

The upper side of the yacht is covered in solar panels to capture the solar energy from the sun. Whether cruising or in dock, her battery banks are charged using this energy, powering the electric motors as and when required. 

Duffy continued, “Luxury motor yachts spend a great deal of their lifetime in rest periods, such as in ports or harbours. When they do travel, the fuel they use is vast, expensive, dirty, noisy and devastating for the environment. Most disappointing is the surprisingly short distance the craft will travel until it requires refuelling. Our system uses the rest periods to maintain and keep the vessel fully fuelled and continues to top up whilst travelling.

“As a medium, a large yacht, boat or ship is perfect proving ground for these technologies, as it provides an environment that is almost entirely enclosed. It must be able to produce its own fresh water, deal with its own waste and provide its own power.

“Solar panel and battery technologies are currently progressing in huge leaps where they now have their own form of Moore’s Law (used for computer processing power) and we can apply a version of this law to make this concept a feasible one.” 

The Solaris Global Cruiser accommodates up to 10 guests on board across five cabins, with further cabin for a crew of seven. The solar-powered cooling system doubles to provide hot water for all those on board. 

With a composite hull and superstructure, the lightweight Solaris can reach a silent top speed of 45 knots and a cruising speed of 28 knots, using her six 2,600hp engines and 40kW bow thrusters. 

The solar yacht is expected in 2020 and will be available for a price of $32.6million.

For more information, visit Duffy London.