YSA Design rolls out concept for biomethanol-powered sailing cruise ship

Norwegian designer for the cruise ship industry YSA Design has unveiled a concept for a new sail-powered catamaran cruise ship.

Codenamed Seabreeze, the design combines the sustainability of sail and a four-meter draft in a 104.5-meter-long ship with access to shallow waters.

Dual hulls counteract listing under sail to maintain stability and comfort for 200 passengers on board, YSA Design said.

Using a market-ready solution, four 50-meter high foldable sails would be mounted on six-meter high bases on deck to capture zero-emission wind. Engines running on green biomethanol would sustain hotel operations and – if the wind is insufficient – the main propulsion. However, the ship would also have a hybrid drive to silently run on battery power.

Two 18.2-meter wide hulls would be connected by an inverted U-shaped structure spanning 18.5 meters, with the cat’s two-deck central superstructure incorporating the bridge and some public spaces. Each hull would include four decks plus a ‘yacht top’, with room for 100 dual occupancy guest cabins and 155 crew.

“Sustainability is critical but cruise shipping also needs to continuously reinvent itself,” Trond Sigurdsen, Senior Architect and Partner, YSA Design, pointed out.

“A sustainable ship which brings environmentally conscious guests closer to the sea and reaches destinations others cannot is a clear opportunity at the premium end of the cruise market.”

“Seabreeze also aligns closely with contemporary thinking on destination-based cruising, where a ship gliding in under sail would not disturb wildlife and would be a welcome visitor anywhere. A 21st century wind-powered ship could even drive revival in communities which suffered with the demise of sail.”

Last year, YSA Design joined a consortium led by Northern Xplorer that aims to build the world’s first zero-emission cruise ship.

Portugal’s West Sea shipyard has been selected to build a 140-meter long, 250-guest capacity ship with 125 cabins for the 2026 cruise season, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and batteries.