The 118.8-metre mega yacht Breakthrough, built by Royal van Lent Shipyard, part of Feadship, won the Ship of Year Award at the Maritime Awards Gala last night. The yacht beat its fellow-competitors, NIOZ’s new research vessel Wim Wolff and the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Combat Support Ship HNLMS Den Helder.
The Ship of the Year Award (formerly KNVTS Ship of the Year Award) is characterised by a broad recognition of Dutch maritime innovative strength when it comes to sailing equipment. Central to the assessment is the question: To what extent do design, technology, safety, construction and economic significance come together in one innovative ship? This ship represents the top of the Dutch maritime sector. To be nominated, the ship must have been designed and largely have been completed in the Netherlands.
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Breakthrough
MY Breakthrough is a 118.8-metre mega yacht and with its 7247 GT volume, it is the largest yacht built in the Netherlands to date. The build and engineering was done by Feadship companies, all Dutch companies. Artistic design and the exterior and interior styling of the yacht are by the renowned UK-based studio RWD.
The yacht can accommodate 34 guests, three staff members, and forty crew and has a “Townhouse” four-story double owners’ cabin. With the hydrogen tank integrated in the hull, twelve hull doors, the underwater observation lounge and fourteen pop out/in sliding doors construction was a challenge. The owner required a zero-emission use of the yacht.
Liquid green hydrogen, methanol and HVO
The result is a yacht capable of refuelling with liquid green hydrogen and generating the required energy for hotel load and free sailing using fuel cells and batteries. In case hydrogen is unavailable, the fuel cells can run on methanol or energy can be produced by generators capable of running on HVO fuel. Propulsion is provided by two 3200-kW ABB pod drives, giving the yacht a cruising speed of 14 knots in hybrid mode, 10 knots on hydrogen and a maximum of 17 knots. Its range is 6500 nm on cruising speed.
Engineering was carried out by De Voogt Naval architects, based in Hoofddorp, a Feadship company. As yard number 821, construction took place at the Feadship Royal van Lent yard in Amsterdam. The hull and superstructure were fabricated in Holland, assembled and transported to Royal van Lent for outfitting and finishing. All was done under Lloyd’s Register class and the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC).
Protocols and safety regulations
There were no regulations for hydrogen storage and fuel cell systems at class, flag-state or even IMO level. Seeking expert partners from allied industries, Royal van Lent and Lloyd’s Register developed protocols and safety regulations together in parallel with the engineering of the yacht. Because Royal van Lent did not claim intellectual property on the lessons learned, much of the development is now part of class rules and regulations and in use for commercial vessels (RoPaxes, container ships).
Bunkering hydrogen requires a strict and extensive protocol that has also been developed and is clearly described in an impressive safety booklet. This includes safety aspects and handling of equipment to ensure safety of crew and ship.
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Cryogenic storage tanks
The yacht has a double walled cryogenic storage tank holding 92 m3 for 4 tonnes of liquid hydrogen. This storage takes about ten times the volume compared to storage of diesel fuel, on top of that, the temperature needs to be -253°C. This requires a separate compartment for safety and a huge amount of insulation. From a construction point of view, it is a challenge to integrate such tanks in the structure while accommodating the large temperature difference.
Only 543 kWh of energy is stored on board; the fuel cells provide enough power for a week at anchor or emission-free sailing at 10 knots in protected areas. A state-of-the-art power management system ensures everything operates smoothly and integrates seamlessly.
The bar has been raised for the sector in virtually all areas of this complex, well-designed yacht. The project demonstrates that close cooperation between different disciplines and partners results in a highly innovative project with high standards. Not only are the innovation and the regulations developed praised by the jury, but the fact that Royal van Lent/Feadship shares this technology with others is also greatly appreciated.
Other nominees
In addition to the Breakthrough there were two other nominees, Combat Support Ship HNLMs Den Helder and research vessel Wim Wolff.
The Royal Netherlands Navy is on the verge of renewing almost its entire fleet. The recently delivered Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder is the first step in this fleet renewal and a fine example of the intensive cooperation
between industry and the Ministry of Defence to prepare the fleet for the coming decades. With the design and construction of the new generation of naval vessels, Damen Naval, together with the maritime manufacturing industry, supports national and European security.
The research vessel (RV) Wim Wolff is the newest research vessel of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) built by Royal T Shipyards (formerly Thecla Bodewes Shipyards). Many design details, equipment details and components that were not standard on the market were thought out and then developed specifically for this ship. The result is a state-of-the-art ship, lightweight, sustainable, with minimal impact on the environment, zero emission and low noise in many of its operational tasks and prepared for future steps in the energy transition.
For more information on these two nominees, read our October Maritime Awards special, available to subscribers here. Not yet a subscriber? Please visit our subscriptions page.
Also read: And the nominees for the Maritime Awards 2025 are…
Maritime Awards Gala
The Maritime Awards Gala took place on Monday evening, 3 November, at Ahoy Rotterdam. During the Maritime Awards Gala, more than 900 maritime professionals and stakeholders meet to celebrate the innovative capacity of the Dutch maritime sector together with politicians, the press and the nominees.
Every year, five awards are presented at the Gala; the Ship of the Year Award, the Maritime Innovation Award, the Maritime Talent Award, the Maritime Achievement Award and the Maritime Security Award.
Picture (top): Protocols and safety regulations had to be developed in parallel with the engineering of the Breakthorugh (photo by Feadship).
