The race to develop eco-friendly propulsion systems for larger vessels is yet to crown a winner. For now, the majority of the world’s prominent shipyards are still exploring and developing technologies for sustainable seafaring. It looks like this perseverance might finally pay off as Rossinavi reveals the projected capabilities of its Solsea concept.
Recently announced at Design Miami, the Italian firm is not alone in this venture. Alongside Swiss designer Yves Béhar, they are actively developing an electric hybrid catamaran. From its name, we can gather that this luxury yacht will leverage free energy from the sun to navigate long distances with zero emissions.
Photovoltaic cells and high-capacity batteries are not exactly new. However, what engineers strive for is a peak efficiency of close to 100%. Sadly, the panels that are commercially available right now still perform below expectations. The Solsea, on the other hand, will rely on artificial intelligence to manage battery charging and output.
The team is also optimizing every available surface for harvesting clean energy by day. Large sections of this twin-hull vessel are clad in PV modules to ensure adequate coverage. The placement of these units accounts for the sun’s positional changes throughout the day.
In addition to its solar energy collection setup, there are additional tweaks to boost its range. “The yacht’s catamaran eco-displacement hull is designed for maximum hydrodynamic efficiency, enabling full-electric cruising,” notes Béhar. If everything goes according to plan, the results are potentially groundbreaking.
Ideally, the Solsea could travel 80% of its transatlantic crossing on battery-electric power only. Elsewhere, a backup diesel-electric generator trip would likely power the ship the rest of the way. Béhar and Rossinavi are likewise confident the hybrid catamaran concept could fully recharge in five hours while docked.
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Images courtesy of Rossinavi
