Rolls-Royce and Water Revolution Foundation driving sustainability in the superyacht industry

• Power Systems business with mtu brand becomes Anchor Partner of the non-profit organization
• Innovative propulsion systems to play significant role in increasing eco-friendliness of yachts

Rolls-Royce is stepping up its sustainability strategy by forging a partnership with Water Revolution Foundation (WRF), a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainability through collaborations with the superyacht industry. The Rolls-Royce Power Systems business unit with its mtu product and solutions brand is the first propulsion system manufacturer to support the Water Revolution Foundation by committing to it at the highest level as an Anchor Partner. During the Monaco Yacht Show, the leading industry event for large-yacht manufacturers and customers, the company agreed for a promising collaboration with the foundation.

The target of the NetZero@Power Systems program launched by the Rolls-Royce Power Systems business is to achieve by 2030 a 35% emissions reduction across all products relative to 2019. NetZero is to become reality over all scopes by 2050 at the latest. In the field of yachts, Rolls-Royce is working on hybrid systems, exhaust aftertreatment systems and fuel cell solutions, and is now allowing sustainable fuels such as HVO and e-diesel to power mtu engines, enabling immediate emissions reductions.

"We are fully committed to pioneering the way to NetZero and are making great efforts to achieve this. Our partnership with the Water Revolution Foundation is therefore only logical. It provides an excellent platform for bringing all relevant industry players together to shape a common future in sustainable yachting and standards, and to do so with greater transparency." said Dr. Daniel Chatterjee, Director for Sustainability, Technology Management and Regulatory Affairs at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

Rolls-Royce not only supports the work of the Water Revolution Foundation financially, but also provides it with technological expertise and data for the development of various ambitious tools. One of these is the Yacht Assessment Tool (YAT). Based on Life Cycle Approach (LCA), it can calculate in a standardized, objective way the environmental impact of a yacht over its entire life cycle, as well as that of an engine or propulsion system. The energy used for yacht propulsion and on-board hospitality functions is a major focus. With its mtu propulsion and energy systems, Rolls-Royce has been a top supplier and partner to the superyacht industry for decades.  

Robert van Tol, Executive Director of the Water Revolution Foundation said: "The superyacht industry has the potential to be a forerunner in new, more eco-friendly technologies. Indeed, it is in its own interest that yacht customers can continue to enjoy healthy oceans and thriving marine life. Working with its affluent clientele, every new build project is an opportunity to innovate and push boundaries. By pulling together as an industry, we can shorten the time-to-market of innovative prototypes and embrace new technologies, also for the existing fleet. We’re very pleased to welcome Rolls-Royce as an anchor partner and we appreciate their collaborative spirit in driving and accelerating sustainability in the yachting sector."

The partners of the Water Revolution Foundation commit to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the foundation’s Code of Conduct: "We recognize that, as the superyacht industry, we owe it to our strategic position to drive change," is the statement in Commitment 1 of the Code of Conduct.

WRF's Anchor Partners already include, amongst others, major yacht manufacturers such as Abeking & Rasmussen, Benetti, Damen Yachting, Feadship, Heesen, Lürssen, Oceanco and Sanlorenzo, as well as material suppliers such as Akzo Nobel.

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

1. Rolls-Royce pioneers the power that matters to connect, power and protect society. We have pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations by 2030 (excluding product testing) and joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2020, affirming our ambition to play a fundamental role in enabling the sectors in which we operate achieve net zero carbon by 2050.
2. Rolls-Royce Power Systems is headquartered in Friedrichshafen in southern Germany and employs around 9,000 people. The product portfolio includes mtu-brand high-speed engines and propulsion systems for ships, power generation, heavy land, rail and defence vehicles and for the oil and gas industry as well as diesel and gas systems and battery containers for mission critical, standby and continuous power, combined generation of heat and power, and microgrids and is intensively engaged in the development of climate-neutral solutions.
3. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
4. Annual underlying revenue was £10.95 billion in 2021, underlying operating profit was £414m and we invested £1.18 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.
5. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a publicly traded company (LSE:RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69).