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Motoring / Yachts

Sunreef’s Eco-Conscious Super-Cats in Demand

Two Sunreef 100 Eco yachts commissioned by repeat owners will feature composite integrated solar panels and other high-tech green solutions.

Oct 25, 2024 | By Craig Hurst
Sunreef 100 Eco sailing catamarans feature solar panels integrated into the hull

Sunreef Yachts was recently commissioned to build two Sunreef 100 Eco superyachts, both sailing catamarans ordered by repeat customers. One of the commissioned vessels is scheduled to be delivered to Europe in late 2025, and the other to the Americas in 2026.

The Polish shipyard is pioneering a sustainable revolution in the superyacht world, with a growing global interest in large, eco-responsible catamarans.

The Sunreef 100 Eco was designed to provide an emissions-free cruising experience in complete silence and luxury. Using green high-tech solutions developed in-house by Sunreef, both 100 Eco catamarans will feature composite integrated solar panels, maximising solar power generation.

With custom-engineered batteries and state-of-the-art electric engines, the Sunreef 100 Eco is designed to offer hours of e-motoring with no fumes or vibrations, and offer a smooth experience under sail, while the yacht’s hydro-generators will provide a steady supply of green energy. These elements help achieve a 2,000-nautical-mile range for the 100 Eco.

Expandable Ocean Lounge

One of the catamaran’s standout features is her invisible aft garage that can stow a jet ski and a collection of water toys. Another key feature is the vast Ocean Lounge combining the aft platform and fold-down balconies. Dedicated to sunning, lounging and watersports, the lounge provides direct access to voluminous toy storage and diving gear.

With cutting-edge green tech and imposing living space, the Sunreef 100 Eco is the essence of sustainable superyacht design. This bespoke all-electric luxury craft joins Sunreef’s Eco range of sail catamarans alongside the 50 Eco, 60 Eco, 70 Eco and 80 Eco.

The vast Ocean Lounge combines the aft platform and fold-down balconies while providing direct access to toy storage and diving gear

Fitted with twin 270kW electric engines, the Sunreef 100 Eco offers a sustainable yachting experience with ultralight, high-performance batteries as well as Sunreef’s proprietary solar power system. Because of the shipyard’s award-winning technology, the craft can welcome up to 242.5sqm of composite-integrated solar panels, generating up to 46kWp.

The Eco Ethos

Following the Sunreef Yachts Eco philosophy, the 100 Eco offers a variety of responsibly sourced or recycled finishing materials and an ultramodern, energy-saving air-conditioning system.

Sunreef’s Eco catamarans are the result of a 360-degree approach to eco-responsible cruising. They offer cutting-edge green propulsion solutions, naturally-sourced finishing materials, smart energy management, and new technology that includes the proprietary composite-integrated solar power system produced in-house to power the Polish builder’s newest range of solar catamarans.

Their design also incorporates wind-generators, non-toxic bottom paints, green composite structures, as well as state-of-the-art watermakers and water-saving systems.

Sunreef’s electric catamarans have the option to be equipped with ultramodern hybrid propulsion systems. Besides significantly reduced CO2 emissions, hybrid engines take eco cruising to the next level by combining the best of electric motoring with the advantages of thermal (heat-generated) engines.

The Sunreef 100 Eco is designed to offer hours of e-motoring

Hybrid engines not only offer reliable propulsion, but can also be used to recharge the yacht’s battery bank for even more energy-efficiency. Relying on wind as an essential source of propulsion is the most natural way to think about yachting. Sunreef’s sailing range of electric catamarans offer top-quality rigging and fully recyclable performance sails.

Wind can be a precious support when it comes to motoryacht propulsion. The shipyard’s range of eco-friendly power yachts can be fitted with high-performance kites to also harness wind propulsion. Frequently used for towing large container ships, kites are an extremely powerful support for leisure craft.

Hull Optimisation

When under electric motor propulsion, all Sunreef yachts are energy efficient due to advanced hulls designed in tandem with realistic computer simulation scenarios at the shipyard. Here adjustments to the hydrodynamics and aerodynamics are part of the development of every model’s hull.

Engineers are constantly optimising hulls for more energy efficiency, seaworthiness and performance in various sea conditions.

The aft garage is invisible

Weight Efficiency

Weight optimisation is crucial for energy-efficient yachts; Sunreef’s Eco catamarans can be built using light carbon fibre to reduce the overall yacht weight and increase the energy efficiency. Carbon is used for masts, booms, and structural reinforcements.

Light lithium battery banks on board are smartly placed to minimise the impact on the yachts’ movement at sea, and solar panels installed are the world’s lightest solar-power system.

Energy And Water Management

To reduce energy consumption on board, Sunreef’s yacht range features well insulated interiors, using sustainable insulation materials, helping maintain stable temperatures in interior living spaces, which can retain heat and cold equally well. The silent smart air-conditioning system is battery powered.

Smart energy management is essential on board an energy-efficient yacht. To be able to maintain all house loads and air-conditioning throughout the day with only a minimum use of the generator, a yacht needs to find the perfect balance of energy production and consumption.

Sunreef Eco catamarans achieve that due to smart engineering and very efficient lithium battery packs that can be easily recharged across the globe in varying voltage ranges. A special eco mode is currently being developed by Sunreef’s R&D department for even less energy consumption.

The catamaran was designed for emissions-free cruising in complete silence

Fresh-water generation is essential for sustainable cruising. Thanks to highly efficient watermakers and an advanced purification system, Eco yachts can enjoy unlimited access to fresh water, helping avoid the use of plastic bottles on board.

The yacht’s boiler can be heated with the help of heat obtained from solar panels or an inverter-powered heater, and a rain-collection system saves water for washing the deck.

Linen and Basalt

Sunreef’s Eco catamarans can feature basalt and linen-bases in the production of hulls, superstructures and yacht furniture. A hard, dense rock of volcanic origin, basalt is a sustainable base ingredient.

Basalt fibre not only outperforms glass fibre in terms of strength but is also environmentally safer to produce as no greenhouse gases are released during its fabrication process. It presents no toxic reaction with air or water, is non-combustible and is explosion-proof.

Linen fibre is another natural component used in the Eco range building process. Produced from flax, the strongest and stiffest natural fibre, it is non-toxic, safe to produce and has a minimal carbon footprint.

Sunreef uses fine responsible materials including fabrics, cork and reclaimed teak

Other Sustainable Materials

For its ecologically-conscious yacht design, Sunreef uses fine responsible materials without any compromise on luxury. Eco catamarans reduce the use of animal skins by offering a variety of natural fabrics and alternatives to genuine leather. Interior floors can feature advanced hardwood flooring systems or reclaimed teak salvaged from old houses, boats or other wooden structures.

Compressed paper-based materials can be used for countertops to obtain weight-efficient, solid and practical surfaces. This innovative solution not only provides for a luxury finish but is also very easy to repair, as scratches can be quickly removed by applying heat.

Cork-based decking is also an option, a green and fully recyclable alternative to traditional teak. Reusable and recyclable non-PVC-based synthetic teak is also offered for decking.

Non-toxic, silicon-based hull-bottom paints provide efficient protection against marine growth while offering a very low surface roughness. Slick, impermeable and highly durable, they significantly reduce drag, which leads to increased performance as well as smarter energy management.

Sunreef’s electric sailing catamarans offer top-quality rigging and fully sustainable performance

Sunreef’s Eco sustainable yachts offer fully recyclable sails, pairing great performance and a responsible approach to the environment. Recycled sailcloth gains a second life, transforming into durable bags and accessories.

“The Sunreef 100 Eco is an outstanding electric superyacht,” Francis Lapp, Sunreef’s founder and President, told Yacht Style. “She combines massive living space with smooth sailing and modern green tech.

“She would be a great pick for the Asia-Pacific, especially in Australia and New Zealand, where Sunreef gains more and more attention. We have a strong local dealership there, and we feel the customers are genuinely interested in our new catamarans.”

sunreef-superyachts.com
sunreef-yachts-eco.com

This article was first seen on YachtStyle.co

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