Bill Gates' interest in clean technology will now be highlighted by one of the most glaring symbols of his wealth. The former head of Microsoft has ordered the world's first hydrogen fuel cell superyacht, Aqua, designed by Sinot Yacht Design.
The ship, 370 feet long (about 112 meters) and costing approximately $644 million, has all the trappings of luxury, including five decks, space for 14 guests in seven cabins and 31 crew members and even a gym. But its main feature is that it operates from two 1 MW motors, the fuel for which comes from two 28-ton armored glass and vacuum insulated tanks with super-cooled hydrogen (−253° C).
Aqua even uses gel fuel "fire bowls" to keep passengers warm on the upper deck instead of burning coal or wood. The ship won't be too fast, with a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h, cruising speed 18–22 km/h), but the maximum range of 7000 km should be sufficient for ocean voyages.
As a result, the exhaust of such a vessel will be only ordinary water. However, the ship is still not entirely environmentally friendly. Since hydrogen refueling stations at the berth are quite rare, the Aqua will have a spare diesel engine to help the yacht get to the desired port. Aqua is not expected to go to sea until 2024.
It is easy to criticize such a purchase. Couldn't the money spent fund electric and hydrogen vehicles, which would have a much greater impact than a single cruise ship? But Bill Gates's investment is more of a symbolic endorsement of zero-emission technology—in this case, as a proof of concept that ships don't have to burn carbon-based fuel to sail the oceans. You can learn more about the hydrogen superyacht concept .
Source: 3dnews.ru