Green drive
New hybrid propulsion system to be introduced in Baglietto yachts.
27 March 2024
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Baglietto’s pioneering work and strong commitment to increasingly sustainable and green yachting makes headway, with the Italian boat builder actively engaged in pursuing and driving the energy transition in this sector, too.
It was in this spirit that the La Spezia-based shipyard partnered with two internationally leading players like 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 one more step forward in the Shipyard’s research in 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, therefore, 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.
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“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,” comments Baglietto’s CEO Diego Michele Deprati.
“Once more, Baglietto shows its determination to explore new, 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.
More specifically, the new system – a latest-generation power train – consists of a Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesel endothermic engine and an ultracompact hybrid unit that integrates a low-consumption clutch and a 180-kW 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 the utmost comfort, and as a shaft generator system, to optimise consumption. The whole power train is then managed by Siemens Energy BlueDrive Eco, a cutting-edge propulsion control system.
This highly innovative solution was developed by Siemens Energy in cooperation with Stromag and Lucchi Motori – an outstanding example of the ability to combine the best technologies by joining forces with other companies in order to offer market-leading solutions and promote sustainability and energy efficiency.
The system allows 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, ie HVO (Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil) and synthetic diesel fuels (e-diesel) compliant to standard EN15940.
The latter, coming from highly renewable energy sources, ensure a reduction of up to 90 percent of the CO₂ emissions calculated over the entire life cycle 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 optimising 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 900 kWh 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.
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