S K I N
I S S U E
•
n°3 6
•
2 0 2 3
Game Changer from Yacht to Superyacht by Paola Bertelli - ph. Courtesy by Volvo Penta
110
A revolution on the horizon. Volvo Penta’s new IPS 40 drive will provide a new approach for superyacht propulsion – dual power input for greater versatility and efficiency and ready for multiple energy sources, from renewable combustibles to all-electric or hybrid solutions
T
he Cannes Yschting Festival was the first important test of how the public and the nautical sector would react to Volvo Penta’s new IPS 40 launched in May. Now they’re here, and they’ve
made a big impression. They were mentioned in almost all the press conferences held by the most important yards like Sanlorenzo, Azimut, Amer, Beneteau, Pardo Yachts, Palum-
bo Superyachts and Ferretti Group, which are set to instal the IPS 40 on their new displacement, semi-displacement and planing models. The IPS 40 units are currently in the testing stage, and Volvo Penta is pressing ahead with sea and bench trials. At sea the drives are already in use on a high-speed passenger ferry plying the waters off Gothenburg. The next stage involves their use on board an offshore-energy crew transfer vessel. The first applications in the yacht and superyacht sector are scheduled for 2025. The IPS 40 is a revolutionary solution where cutting-edge technology developed by Volvo Penta is based on an approach that is unique in the industry – creating an advanced platform that can adapt to all possible scenarios appearing in the near future in the wake of developments in green propulsion. The key to the project is that it is designed for modular use with different power sources – instead of thinking about bigger and bigger engines, the engineers at Volvo Penta have developed a system that links two propulsion units to every individual pod, making it possible to use on or two engines according to the operational profile at any given moment, generating incredible efficiency. In the context of environmental awareness the strength of the IPS 40 is that it is suitable for any scenario. The first step, in 2025, will be the version with traditional engines linked to a compact post-treatment system to conform to the most recent IMO Tier III standards, but the platform is prepared for a mix of energy sources, from engines powered by renewable fuels to all-electric or hybrid systems. The IPS 40 marks the Swedish giant’s entry into big boat sector, building on the success of its IPS project launched in the early noughties with smaller craft and now being extended to ships. This result was also made possible by the impressive number of boats mounting the IPS (over
The IPS 40 platform can be linked to a mix of propulsion units powered
36,000), providing a vast amount of information that has
by different energy sources. From top, solutions with two traditional IC
enabled every detail to be refined.
engines; with an IC engine and an electric motor and with two electric
www.volvopenta.com
motors. Dual, triple and quadruple installations are planned
111