Rolls-Royce’s new Crystal Blue yacht concept with hybrid propulsion. Credit: Rolls-Royce plc.
Rolls-Royce has revealed a new luxury yacht concept that features advanced digital technology and hybrid propulsion based on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel and battery power.
The new concept is known as ‘Crystal Blue’ and has been unveiled along with its support vessel Blue Shadow at the Global Superyacht Forum (GSF) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The 62m-long vessel concept is designed to accommodate more than 12 passengers and 12 crew members.
Crystal Blue also comprises a composite or aluminium hull operating a power plant based on Rolls-Royce’s own hybrid LNG / Battery SAVe-CUBE system configuration.
Rolls-Royce Concepts and Innovation senior vice-president Oskar Levander said: “Our ship intelligence and remote-control concepts have allowed us to design a yacht for the future that has the bridge located below the bow, inside the vessel.
"Our ship intelligence and remote-control concepts have allowed us to design a yacht for the future that has the bridge located below the bow, inside the vessel."
“The crew is able to monitor and control the vessel using sophisticated sensors, cameras, display screens and situational awareness technologies, but an internal bridge frees up the traditional area of the bridge in the forward part of the superstructure to let owners and guests enjoy a panoramic vista that is traditionally only enjoyed by the crew.”
In addition, Crystal Blue includes an intelligent dynamic positioning system that automatically controls the twin azimuthing thrusters and a TT1100 bow thrusters installed on-board the vessel.
The yacht’s bridge console is based on the Unified Bridge design developed by Rolls-Royce.
It also includes various technologies that have previously been demonstrated by Rolls-Royce in collaboration with Svitzer as part of the first remote-controlled commercial tugboat.
Crystal Blue will be powered by a pair of LNG-fuelled 16V4000 MTU M65-N generators, as well as a battery bank capable of providing 1MWh of power during docking at ports.
It will also be able to cruise at a maximum speed of 20k with the help of two low-weight carbon Azipull thrusters.
The Blue Shadow vessel is designed to operate with in convoy Crystal Blue.
The 42m-long vessel is a remotely controlled, steel-hulled support vessel to be used to transport and launch the mother ship’s tender, helicopter and any other items that the yacht owner may possess.