Most Valuable Yacht concept unveiled at Monaco Yacht Show

Monaco, 28 September 2023: DRIFT Energy has today premiered a cutting-edge pathway to net zero Superyachts through harnessing the energy available from the oceans yacht owners know and love. The MVY (Most Valuable Yacht – a nod to its value to the climate) concept has launched at the Monaco Yacht Show and has been immediately heralded as the ‘world’s most super yacht’. The concept illustrates DRIFT Energy’s plans to create a new class of ‘true green’ fuel generating vessels. Hence, the super refers to its superhero ability to make a zero-carbon future fuel known as green hydrogen.

Superyacht owners looking to spearhead the charge towards net-zero can now collaborate with DRIFT to personally make the transition. MVY - a 58m megawatt class energy vessel capable of generating, storing and delivering energy by itself, generates electricity using turbines that capture the kinetic energy of the sailing catamaran and stores this onboard as green hydrogen. When its tanks are nearly full the vessel proceeds to a designated port or location to offload. In the Superyacht context this can either be direct to the mothership or to bunker at her current port location. A single vessel is capable of generating over 140 tonnes of green hydrogen a year - a volume that would abate over 1,500 tonnes of CO2 a year.

“The vast majority of the world’s renewable energy is over the Oceans, so what better way to harvest it than using sailing vessels? As the UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 shows, there has been a regression in climate action in recent years, especially in carbon-heavy industries like marine, so we think it is time to add another, sustainable way to accelerate the much-needed reversal.” 

Ben Medland, Founder and CEO of DRIFT Energy

To accelerate MVY to reality, DRIFT also announced today its partnership with Shadowcat, creators of the award-winning eponymous brand of catamaran yacht support and adventure vessels. The collaboration combines the natural synergy of Shadowcat’s knowledge and history in delivering high specification logistical support vessels in the Superyacht industry and DRIFT Energy’s technology, that provides the ultimate energy support vessel for the mothership.

The partnership will see Shadowcat working to drive opportunities in the leisure market, as well as bringing decades of experience in efficient and timely build programmes.

“The ethos behind MVY is a great fit with the Shadowcat brand. Our experience and knowledge in delivering shadow vessels to the superyacht industry means we know how ready the market is for this technology. This collaboration with DRIFT means we can accelerate the availability of this almost perfect future fuel wherever it is needed. Owners are hunting for opportunities to go greener, and we are proud to work with DRIFT to offer this unique solution.”

Jennifer Smith Director of Business Development, Shadowcat

This new class of vessel is set to revolutionise the world of sustainable yachting, by providing the missing link to green fuels. DRIFT’s technology accelerates the pace of the transition by effectively by-passing the requirement for fixed infrastructure and grid-based projects, while also avoiding the traditional constraints of port bunkering and insulating owners from inflationary pressures on fuel and carbon pricing. Beyond this, the technology also provides a new pathway to grid-scale clean energy. One that has the potential to abate a gigatonne of CO2 by 2050 and support not just the superyacht industry but the fringes of the energy transition, for instance in small island nations.

For visionary owners, the opportunity exists to achieve an exclusive sustainable and secure green fuel supply - one that affords owners the ability to support their own energy needs without having any impact on their surroundings and enjoy being at one with nature.