Yachting & Nautisme - A world leader in the semi-custom luxury catamaran market, the Polish shipyard Sunreef is well ahead in the field of electric and hybrid engines for its sailing yachts and motoryachts, and is now using structural foam made from recycled PET bottles in the construction of its units. This choice has enabled the company to further drastically reduce the carbon footprint of its yachts.

If there is one shipyard in the world of yachts and superyachts whose environmental strategy is unfolding with a clear and logical industrial logic, it is Sunreef Yachts.

The shipyard founded 20 years ago in Gdansk by Frenchman Francis Lapp, based on the concept - iconoclastic at the time - of building truly luxurious catamarans, has just announced that it is using structural foam from recycled PET in the construction of the composite hulls and superstructures of its yachts.

This announcement comes just a few months after the integration of natural fibre composites and biosourced resins for the non-structural components of its yachts.

This approach will enable the shipyard to reduce the carbon impact of its yachts, by tackling the carbon emissions resulting from their construction.

Sunreef Yachts - a 360° environmental approach 

In the yachting and pleasure boating industry, 85% of carbon emissions come from the use of yachts, and 25% from their construction.

A few years ago, Sunreef shook up the yachting sector with its Sunreef ECO range of sailing yachts and motoryachts, which innovated with electric and hybrid engines and very specific batteries, but above all took into account the overall energy balance of its yachts.

Right from the start, the shipyard worked to reduce the energy needs of on-board consumers (with unique solutions for air conditioning, desalination, black and grey water management, etc.), while integrating truly efficient and useful energy producers on board, in particular the famous photovoltaic panels integrated into the planks, masts and roofs.

This approach, which is well ahead of the market, means that Sunreef ECO yachts can boast flattering energy balances, with sailing yachts tending towards autonomy and motoryachts achieving huge reductions in consumption.

Having tackled 85% of the emissions from its boats, the Polish shipyard then set about tackling the remaining 25%, namely construction. 

With state-of-the-art production facilities in both Gdansk and Ras Al Khaimah, the yard turned its attention to composites, the main emitter of carbon emissions.

Natural fibres and bio-sourced or recyclable resins

Initially, Sunreef's engineers opted for bio-sourced or recyclable resins and natural NFC flax fibres for the non-structural elements. This innovative choice means that the fibres and resins can be separated in the event of future deconstruction, giving these two materials a second life.

Structural foam made from recycled PET bottles

After two years of development, Sunreef is now moving on to the final stage, using structural foam from recycled PET bottles to build the hulls and superstructures of its various types of yacht.

The recycled thermoplastic core offers a number of advantages, including high resistance to processing temperatures, exceptional chemical resistance, strong adhesion and mechanical properties. It is also fully recyclable, in line with Sunreef Yachts Eco's commitment to sustainable development. The construction of an 80-foot catamaran requires around 2.4 tonnes of this foam core, which is equivalent to recycling around 600,000 PET bottles.