Breakthrough: Pioneering the Hydrogen-Powered Future of Superyachts

When the owner of project 821 asked Feadship a deceptively simple question – “How green can you make her?“, the Dutch yard responded with a vessel that rewrites the rulebook. Launched in 2025 and stretching 118.8 metres, Breakthrough is the first true zero-diesel, hydrogen-fuel-cell superyacht. Five years of R&D, countless engineering workshops and the courage to test unproven ideas have produced a flagship that glides from harbour to harbour on electricity generated from green hydrogen, leaving nothing but water vapour in her wake.

A Sculpted, Sea-Level Playground

Exterior stylist RWD and naval architects De Voogt wrapped Breakthrough’s 19-metre beam in bold geometry and generous cut-outs to bring guests closer to the ocean. Fourteen fold-out balconies and seven sea-level terraces blur the boundary between hull and horizon, while a sweeping sheerline keeps the silhouette lean despite her 7,200-plus-GT volume. Aft, an 8.2-metre glass-floored infinity pool anchors a “Nikki-Beach-style” deck space; adjustable glass panels can sink to create a deep lap pool for fitness or rise to form a shallow splash-pool for children. Twin sculptural staircases lead down to a vast beach club where a semi-submerged “Nemo lounge” offers cinematic views just below the waterline.

Above, the sun deck is a multi-tasking arena: forward lies a private spa tub with panoramic sightlines, mid-ship a shaded dining area for 24, and aft a touch-and-go helipad that converts to a pickle-ball court or yoga studio. Whether she is berthed in Monaco or moored off a coral atoll, Breakthrough makes the sea her stage.

Light-Filled Interiors With a Coastal Soul

Step inside and you enter what RWD describes as “a four-storey townhouse by the sea.” An open atrium spirals around a glass elevator, its curved bookcases and art niches washed in daylight from floor-to-ceiling windows. Materials follow a soothing, coastal palette—fumed eucalyptus and limed oak, creamy travertine, hand-stitched leather wall panels and tactile rattan accents.

Accommodation for 22 guests is spread across 15 suites. Eight main-deck staterooms can combine into four VIP apartments, each with its own fold-out terrace. The owner’s deck is effectively a private penthouse: two mirror-image bedrooms, twin marble baths, his-and-hers offices with fireplaces, a gym and a forward spa pool reserved exclusively for the principal family. Elsewhere guests discover a lagoon-inspired wellness centre, a cinema, a library with rare nautical first editions and a purpose-built medical bay for peace of mind on remote crossings.

Engineering the Impossible: Hydrogen at -253 °C

The yacht’s beating heart is a bank of 16 PowerCell fuel-cell stacks that convert green hydrogen into clean electricity for propulsion and “hotel” loads. Storing that hydrogen safely at -253 °C was the project’s single greatest challenge: Feadship designed a double-walled, vacuum-insulated cryogenic tank able to hold 92 m³—roughly four tonnes—of liquid hydrogen. Although the tank is eight to ten times the volume of an equivalent diesel bunker, Breakthrough still carries 6,500 nautical miles of range at an efficient 14 knots and can sprint to 17 knots when required.

Redundancy comes via two ABB 3,200 kW electric drive motors and generators capable of running on hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) or methanol, both of which slash lifecycle emissions compared with marine diesel. Silent running, minimal vibration and zero stack fumes mean guests wake to the sound of waves, not engines.

A Blueprint Others Will Follow

Breakthrough is more than the latest addition to the World’s Top 100; she is a proof-of-concept for a cleaner yachting era. From her advanced Kongsberg Neptune stabilisers to smart-glass façades that tint automatically in tropical sun, every detail serves a dual purpose: elevate owner enjoyment and shrink the yacht’s carbon footprint.

Feadship likes to say that great boats are “made from dreams,” but this one is built from vision—and a willingness to fund the technology that will carry luxury cruising into the post-fossil-fuel age. For owners seeking a yacht that marries indulgence with environmental responsibility, Breakthrough charts a compelling new course across blue water.

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Photo Credit: feadship.nl