The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a partnership agreement with architect and yacht designer Stefano Pastrovich for the design of innovative and sustainable superyachts for the boutique cruise sector.
The design will feature a fully integrated hybrid propulsion system and solar panels for minimal environmental impact and high energy efficiency. The concept is based on a 60-meter-long catamaran with a capacity for up to 36 passengers. This level of sustainability will allow access to ports that would otherwise be closed to large motor vessels.
“Efficiency and environmental protection are key pillars of Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine approach, which emphasizes the need to collaborate with partners globally. This project encompasses all these ambitions, and we look forward to developing a fully integrated solution together with Stefano Pastrovich that combines energy efficiency, sustainability, and onboard comfort,” explained Giammario Meloni, Senior Sales Manager of Wärtsilä Italy.
“Wärtsilä is the ideal partner for this project,” commented Stefano Pastrovich, “as we share the vision of being the best at what we do. By combining our expertise in architecture and technology, we will be able to create a megayacht design at the forefront of innovation. I am convinced that boutique cruises could represent a decisive step forward for the charter market, attracting new millennial clients and veteran cruisers alike.”.
Wärtsilä has extensive experience in hybrid propulsion and energy recovery, which will be leveraged in the new design, and has already collaborated with Pastrovich on other successful projects. These include the 99m X-Vintage in 2011 and the 101m X-Expedition in 2017, an innovative design that bridges the worlds of cruise ships and superyachts. Combining the modular construction techniques of the former with the luxurious attention to detail that distinguishes the latter, the design takes privacy, security, travel experience, and environmental responsibility to new heights.
