BAE Systems to provide power and propulsion system for superyacht company

ENDICOTT, N.Y. — BAE Systems says it will provide the electric-hybrid power and propulsion system for a new superyacht manufactured by a company called Southern Wind.

Southern Wind is a builder of luxury sailing yachts with a sales and marketing office in Genoa, Italy and a shipyard in Cape Town, South Africa, per its website.

BAE Systems will supply and integrate its next-generation system on the SW96 Nyumba, the first marine vessel to benefit from the company’s newest propulsion technology, BAE said.

HybriGen power and propulsion technology “builds on the company’s 25 years of experience” developing and integrating more than 14,000 power and propulsion systems in transit and marine markets around the globe, BAE said. Work on the program will be conducted at the company’s facility in Endicott.

BAE Systems develops and services its technology at its facilities in Endicott (Broome County) and in the United Kingdom (UK). Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of UK–based BAE Systems plc, a global defense, security, and aerospace company. Its website says the firm employs nearly 90,000 globally. That figure includes more than 1,300 employees in Endicott, per a company spokesman.

BAE describes the HybriGen power and propulsion system as one that will reduce emissions and fuel consumption for a “quiet, clean, and efficient experience” on the superyacht, which is designed for both long-range cruising and regatta racing. The same technology is also designed so it’s applicable for Southern Wind’s newly launched project, the SW108 HYBRID.

BAE Systems will also integrate a HydroGeneration mode on the SW96 Nyumba, meaning the propeller and motor will act as a generator when the vessel is sailing. HydroGeneration mode will provide vessel-auxiliary power and recharge the energy storage for a “longer zero-emissions experience.”

“BAE Systems’ next-generation technology represents a significant investment in our electric power and propulsion applications for the marine market,” Steve Trichka, VP and general manager of power & propulsion solutions at BAE Systems, said. “This electric-propulsion technology will ensure that the SW96 Nyumba operates with the highest levels of electrical efficiency to maximize the zero-emissions benefit of our HydroGeneration mode.”

The HybriGen power and propulsion system will include an electric motor, two variable-speed generators, a lithium-ion energy storage system, and vessel auxiliary power with shore power charging. The technology leverages “fewer, lighter, and more compact” components with increased electrical efficiency and the highest power density.