Baglietto’s commitment to increasingly sustainable and green yachting is making headway with the Italian yacht builder actively engaged in pursuing and driving the energy transition in this sector. It was in this spirit that the La Spezia-based shipyard partnered with two leading players, Siemens Energy and CGT, to develop a new interposed hybrid propulsion system soon to be installed on Baglietto’s hybrid yachts.
The innovative interposed powertrain represents a step forward in the shipyard’s research into new environmentally friendly technologies. After being recently successfully bench-tested, it will be installed on hybrid propulsion T52 and DOM 133 yachts starting in 2025. The new system will also be fit for mounting on vessels built with the Bzero hydrogen-based technology. All components have already been supervised, verified, and certified by the Lloyd’s Register of Shipping.
“The new system will implement a hybrid-parallel propulsion architecture ensuring maximum flexibility, compact installation and on-board comfort, as well as improved mechanical and electrical efficiency,” says Baglietto’s CEO Diego Michele Deprati . “Once more, Baglietto shows its determination to explore innovative paths in the implementation of alternative energy sources. And, in doing so, it moves one step closer to the goals already set with the Bzero system, aimed at reaching truly sustainable yachting.”
The new system is a latest-generation powertrain consisting of a Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesel endothermic engine and an ultracompact hybrid unit, which integrates a low-consumption clutch and a 180kW high-efficiency electrical machine in an extremely limited space. The electrical machine has a dual function: It works both as an electric propulsion motor to ensure noiseless cruising in comfort, and as a shaft generator system, to optimize consumption. The whole powertrain is then managed by Siemens Energy’s BlueDrive Eco, a cutting-edge propulsion control system.
This solution was developed by Siemens Energy in cooperation with Stromag and Lucchi Motori. The system allows a yacht to cruise in diesel mode, diesel shaft generation mode (without the gensets), electric diesel mode (with the gensets only), and full electric mode.
In the traditional diesel and diesel shaft generation modes, the Caterpillar C32 ACERT main engines are compatible with the use of diesel fuels obtained from 100 percent renewable energy sources, i.e. HVO (Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil), and synthetic diesel fuels (e-diesel) compliant to standard EN15940. The latter, coming from renewable energy sources, ensure a reduction of up to 90 percent of the CO₂ emissions calculated over the entire lifecycle of the product, from process start to its final use.
In diesel-electric mode, the combination of a conventional diesel genset plus variable-speed diesel genset enables the yacht to cruise at speeds of up to 9 knots using bio-diesel fuels, thereby optimizing consumption and saving main engine operation hours.
In full electric mode, the latest-generation Li-ion battery packs with prismatic cells (safe, reliable, and expandable up to 900kWh in very limited space thanks to their high energy density) grant Baglietto yachts unprecedented range values in the zero emissions mode and far longer periods at anchor, always in complete silence.
For more information: baglietto.com
