PROJECT 713: FEADSHIP LAUNCHES ITS FIRST SOLAR-POWERED SUPERYACHT

The 59.5-metre Feadship superyacht Project 713 has been launched from the Koninklijke De Vries facility in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. She is the first Feadship yacht fitted with solar cells and represents yet another progressive step by Feadship, towards its goal of being climate neutral by 2030.

Project 713 was first seen out of the shed in January 2023, with construction beginning in 2021. Her hull was constructed at the Casco-en Sectiebouw shipyard in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with exterior design by Studio De Voogt.

Defined by an elegant blue-grey hull and white superstructure, Project 713 is the first new-build Feadship yacht to feature FSC-certified plantation teak for all her decking. This certification means that all of the wood used onboard has been harvested in a sustainable way.

Project 713 features a contemporary interior design by Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design, with details still being kept tightly under wraps. She is also a prime example of meeting the long-term environmental and social sustainability expectations of Feadship’s diverse stakeholders.

Project 713 is the first Feadship yacht to be equipped with solar cells which can be used for her auxiliary power generation. Designed for optimal performance and durability and custom-made in the Netherlands, the panels utilise some of the most efficient silicon cells available and contribute to her energy efficiency by producing up to 24 MWh annually.

Like many other Feadship's, Project 713 has the ability to run on non-fossil HVO fuel and is also fitted with a diesel-electric propulsion system. As well as this, her hull form has been optimised for cruising speed instead of top speed.

Project 713 has also undergone the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) Assessment report, which provides the yacht with a sustainability label, by looking at the complete life-cycle of the yacht and measuring the ecological impact of its operational energy.

The Project 713 yacht has been ranked as having a below average impact, with her various efficiency enhancing features compensating the losses incurred by the electrical conversions onboard.

“The owner has been instrumental for the design and environmental impact reduction,” explained Feadship. “In addition to the environmental advancements, the launch of Project 713 underscores the significant economic impact of the superyacht industry in the Netherlands, whose contribution represents more than half the entire maritime industry in the country.”

Project 713 is fitted with a high-efficiency, diesel-electric power system, with energy for both her propulsion, as well as her hotel load, supplied by four generators and a 400 kWh battery.

Feadship also made headlines last month when it launched its first 118.8-metre flagship hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht Feadship 821. The steel and aluminium superyacht is the largest yacht to be built by Feadship, and the world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht.

“Feadship's commitment to sustainable yachting is setting new benchmarks for the industry while bolstering the Dutch economy and promoting high standards of quality and creativity,” concluded Feadship.

Written by Sophie Spicknell