The World’s First Zero-Emission Sailing Yacht Is Launching This Year
It looks like the world’s first emissions-free sailing yacht will hit the water before the year is out.
Vripack’s hotly anticipated Project Zero has entered the final stages of construction at Vitters shipyard in the Netherlands, with launch expected at the end of 2025.
The 230-footer, which received top honors in Robb Report’s Best of the Best awards this year, took more than 60,000 hours of research and development to come to fruition. Kickstarted by the Foundation Zero group, Zero is a 100-percent open-source science project designed to advance the industry by spotlighting technological achievements and energy data. “Our goal wasn’t just to prove that a fossil-free superyacht is viable—it was to create a real-world model others can learn from,” Vripack’s co-creative director Marnix Hoekstra said in a statement.
“Zero” is currently under construction at Vitters shipyard in the Netherlands.
Vripack
The Dutch design studio teamed up with Dykstra Naval Architects, Vitters, and teams of coders and data analysts to create the groundbreaking green sailer. The zero-emission vessel won’t use any fossil-fuel power, but rather will run on wind, solar, and thermal energy.
Zero will produce the majority of its power through hydro-generation while sailing, though 1,076 square feet of specialty solar panels will also generate energy from the sun. Depending on conditions, the yacht can also draw about 200 kW of electrical power from the wind. All that energy is stored in giant onboard batteries that collectively weigh 44 tons. The five megawatt-hour energy storage system offers roughly the same capacity as 88 Teslas, according to Vripack.
Zero could offer as much as two weeks’ energy autonomy and a virtually unlimited range. To put that into perspective, most hybrids run for a maximum of eight hours on battery power. That means Zero could become the gold standard of sustainable yachting.
A render of “Zero.”
Vripack
Zero isn’t just green, she’s gorgeous. The Panamax ketch features a sleek aluminum exterior, with a displacement hull and a distinctive pointed bow. Details on the interior layout are rather scant, but Zero can sleep up to 12 guests and nine crew. Each cabin is inspired by a specific destination, with bespoke artwork reflecting the chosen place. Sustainable materials have been incorporated throughout, naturally. Vripack says the craftsmanship is at a superyacht level, too.
Following launch, Zero will undergo sea trials to test her integrated systems and software. Delivery is scheduled for 2026, after which the yacht will be used privately and for select charters. It will also facilitate further scientific research at sea, supporting studies on renewable marine technologies and ocean sustainability.
