- Bill Gates commissions world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht
- Opulent vessel replicates upscale apartment with luxurious amenities
- Feadship’s hydrogen superyacht signifies a leap in eco-technology
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and a billionaire, has reportedly commissioned the first hydrogen gas fuel-cell superyacht, which is now formally available for purchase.
Engineers specifically engineered Project 821, a 390–119-meter superyacht, to run on “green” hydrogen. The renewable electricity-powered process of water separating into oxygen and hydrogen generates this hydrogen.
The opulent vessel’s designers aimed to replicate the atmosphere of an upscale apartment, outfitting it with numerous toilets, two bedrooms, a fitness center, and offices for a sense of sanctuary.
On May 4, the inauguration of this approximately $646 million vessel at the Amsterdam shipyard of Dutch shipbuilder Feadship “forever altered the yachting world.
The purportedly environmentally friendly superyacht has been under construction for more than five years, from design to completion, with the final purchaser still awaiting the addition of custom features.
Although numerous news reports surfaced in 2020 suggesting that the billionaire had hired the design and feadship firm Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design to build this hydrogen-powered eco-yacht, specifics confirming the Gates deal remained elusive.
At the time, a yacht industry trade publication knowingly stated: “While Sinot has denied Gates is building the concept, it is believed Gates is in discussions with an unidentified yard to construct a new superyacht.”
BOAT International, a trade publication, published a statement from Sinot denying that Gates and the company had reached an official agreement regarding the luxury boat project.
In response to reports in the Sunday Telegraph and the Guardian, Sinot stated, “International media outlets have published several articles claiming that Mr. Bill Gates purchased the Aqua concept from Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design.”
“These articles contain factual errors.”
In contrast, Feadship stated to MegaYacht News that it merely declined to comment and “does not comment on its order book.”
This month, the financial news website Benzinga reported that Bill Gates intended to sell both his $25 million yacht, the Wayfinder, a 224-foot catamaran-style vessel constructed by the renowned shipbuilder Astilleros Armon, and his ownership of an unidentified superyacht.
Benzinga originally conceptualized the Wayfinder as a shadow vessel, typically accompanied by an undisclosed, more enormous mothership.
According to the website, which reports on business news and stock market transactions, this mothership was, in fact, Project 821, Feadship’s newest hydrogen superyacht.
Hydrogen fuel-cell vessels run exclusively on hydrogen, unlike conventional yachts that run on diesel engines or other fossil fuel-based systems.
In the fuel cell, the reaction between hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) produces only pure electricity and pure water (H2O).
The objective has been to create a novel, environmentally friendly technology that has implications not only for this undertaking but for the entire world,” stated Jan-Bart Verkuyl, director and CEO of Feadship.
“Invest in your future with Webull UK – get started with free shares.”
According to the company, the yacht’s dimensions made it an ideal candidate for testing the viability of a fuel-cell system propelled entirely by environmentally friendly hydrogen.
Feadship stated that liquid hydrogen fuel on board the vessel requires roughly eight to ten times more storage space than conventional diesel fuel to produce the same quantity of energy.
To accommodate the fuel tank, sixteen fuel-cell energy converters, the necessary switchboard connection for the DC electrical grid, and a set of water-vapor emission exhaust stacks, we added 13 feet to the ship’s original dimensions.
Feadship said, “For individuals enthralled by state-of-the-art advancements, this yacht offers a prospective acquisition opportunity by showcasing the pinnacle of contemporary technological progress.”
The company marketed the expensive luxury vessel as an opulent R&D project-style investment in the future of sustainably developed technology.
Feadship stated, “Investing in the necessary technology to transition away from fossil fuels is essential, and hydrogen is one of the most efficient and cleanest options.”
However, in addition to providing environmentally conscious amenities, Project 821 caters to its affluent clientele by offering a range of “superyacht” necessities.
There are five decks elevated above the waterline and two submerged.
The property also includes a steam room, fourteen balconies, seven fold-out platforms, a pool, two toilets, a home gym, a pantry, and two offices with a fireplace.
The vessel also provides ample space for its proprietor to house an extensive library.
Feadship asserts that the vessel’s food and power reserves enable “an entire week of silent operation at anchor or [briefly] emission-free cruising at 10 knots while departing harbors or traversing protected marine zones.”
The firm boasted in a press release, “It effectively creates a private four-story townhouse by the water within the much larger yacht.”
According to reports, British RWD Studio, not Sinot, was responsible for the exterior and interior design of the Project 821 ship, which used marble, rattan, taupe eucalyptus, and limed oak to create, as Feadship put it, “a luxe coastal vibe.
When prodded for comment, a Feadship spokesperson reiterated this year that the company would not reveal who initially commissioned the eco-superyacht or would ultimately purchase the vessel.
The company stated, “Feadship does not disclose information regarding owners or prices, regardless of whether the yacht is 119 meters or 19 meters and was constructed in the 1960s or the twenty-first century.”
