Pharos Marine Designs Hydrogen- and Diesel-Electric Orcageno Superyacht

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed)
Dec 24th 2009 at 3:01PM

The Orcagena is a 60-meter yacht with a 12-meter beam and room for 12 guests and 14 crew. It contains a spa and health center, sun deck Jacuzzi, and an open-air lounge for the owner's cabin. The dining room overlooks the 2-story swimming pool complex, where you'll be protected from that relentless Aegean sun by a retractable sunroof.

All of that, though, is par for the superyacht course. Where the Orcagena takes its stand is in its propulsion system: a hydrogen- and diesel-electric combination that can provide thousands of more Earth-friendly nautical miles. Dual-fuel engines can run on either diesel or liquid hydrogen, that latter fluid being stored in specially designed tanks in the bow. That engine then powers an electric motor that runs the propellers for quieter, more efficient motoring.

Running on hydrogen eliminates the yacht's carbon footprint, and using the hydrogen alone you can get from London to Brindisi at a leisurely pace, or if you're in a hurry to get to that Campari and soda, Monaco to Brindisi. The full complement of hydrogen and diesel will get you from LA to your second home in Cheju, South Korea... and back. The axe bow and hull design based on the shape of the sperm whale go a long way to making that happen.

The Orcagena is only at the design stage now, but it is more proof of the best in luxury and the best in treading softly are headed for an inevitable union.

Gallery: Pharos Orcagena