Has diesel had its day?

There is evidence to suggest a gradual shift towards alternative propulsion systems…

While the sustainability discourse took a while to take hold, there is now a genuine appetite across the superyacht industry to further this agenda and lower our collective carbon footprint. Using data provided by The Superyacht Agency, finally there is empirical evidence to prove that an (albeit gradual) shift towards fossil fuel alternatives is underway.

Unsurprisingly, the shift is in its infancy, and remains nuanced. However, it shows that anecdotal evidence is supported by empirical data. In the last 10 years, a period considered by many to be the industry’s current ‘epoch’, where the discourse among stakeholders has shifted from the promotion of conspicuous consumption to one of the efficiency and social responsibility, the number of superyachts powered by alternatives to the conventional diesel two-stacks has shifted from 1.49 per cent in 2009 to 1.64 per cent of the in 2018.These gains may at first appear negligible, however, this represents an increase of 46.6 per cent growth over the course of a decade. So, while it’s a small change rather than a sea change, it does seem there is evidence to suggest the industry is innovating in its use of alternative propulsion.

This trend will be examined in detail on day three of The Superyacht Forum, in association with METSTRADE (18-20 November, Amsterdam), where technology will be the order of the day as the industry assembles to discuss our future path.