Breakthrough yacht: 118.8 m Feadship, the first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht

In short

Breakthrough is a 118.8-metre motor yacht that Feadship launched in Amsterdam in May 2024 and delivered in May 2025, designed inside and out by the British studio RWD (Feadship, Boat International, 2025; YachtBuyer). Her builder calls her the world's first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht: 16 PowerCell fuel cell systems producing about 3 megawatts run on liquid hydrogen stored at −253 °C, enough to power the yacht for a week at anchor or to cruise at 10 knots without fossil fuel (Feadship). With no class, flag-state or IMO rules for hydrogen on board, Feadship's Royal Van Lent yard wrote the safety protocols together with Lloyd's Register, and much of that work has since entered class rules for commercial ships (SWZ|Maritime, November 2025). She won Motor Yacht of the Year at the 2026 World Superyacht Awards (Boat International, May 2026); Fortune reported that she was commissioned by Bill Gates, and she was sold through Edmiston in September 2025 and is now offered for charter (Fortune, July 2025; Boat International, September 2025).

Motor Yacht of the Year, World Superyacht Awards 2026 — Boat International, The winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2026
Displacement Motor Yachts, 5,000GT and above, World Superyacht Awards 2026 — Boat International, The winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2026
Ship of the Year Award 2025, Maritime Awards Gala, Rotterdam — SWZ|Maritime, Feadship yacht Breakthrough is Ship of the Year 2025

Videos

Four tours from YouTube.

**Feadship 119m Superyacht BREAKTHROUGH**Yachts.mp4 · 1 Jul 2025 · 20,276 viewsWatch on YouTube

**Feadship's largest ever superyacht 119m PROJECT 821 in-build | SuperYacht Times**SuperYacht Times · 29 Apr 2022 · 13,188 viewsWatch on YouTube

**Breakthrough — 118.8m Hybrid Feadship-Built Superyacht Docking in Gibraltar**Gibraltar YachtingWatch on YouTube

**Project 821 | Sea Trial**Edmiston · 4 Dec 2024 · 3,165 viewsWatch on YouTube

Photos

Breakthrough inside the build hall seen head-on, a court marked out on her teak foredeck and four decks of superstructure behind — In the build hall before launch: the foredeck court

Breakthrough on the water in front of the Feadship hall, bow to the right, with a mooring line running from the bow — Afloat for the first time

The bow of Breakthrough emerging from the Feadship build hall, with yard workers on the foredeck and a small yellow workboat alongside — Leaving the build hall

Breakthrough beside the Feadship hall, bow to the left, crew standing at the bow — Profile beside the build hall

Breakthrough seen low from a tender's fender, the long navy hull stretched across the frame — Seen from a tender alongside

Close view of the curved white superstructure decks and glossy navy hull side of Breakthrough — Curved superstructure decks

Yard workers in blue overalls walking along the quay beside the dark hull side of Breakthrough — Hull side, with yard workers for scale

Abstract detail of Breakthrough's hull and superstructure lines with teak capping rails — Hull and deck lines

Specifications

Length overall: 118.80 m (389 ft 9 in)
Beam: 19.00 m
Draught: 5.05 m 5.25 m at YachtBuyer
Gross tonnage: 7,247 7,295 in one Boat International article
Shipyard: Feadship (Royal Van Lent yard), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; hull no. 821
Project name: Project 821 (Feadship 821)
Exterior and interior design: RWD
Naval architecture: Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects
Construction: Steel hull, aluminium superstructure, teak decks
Classification: Lloyd's Register; built to the Passenger Yacht Code
Construction started: Mid-2020 (keel laid)
Launched: May 2024, Amsterdam
Delivered: May 2025
Size record: Feadship's largest yacht; the largest motor yacht launched in the Netherlands when she was launched in 2024, since passed by the 120 m Tanzanite
Hydrogen fuel cells: 16 PowerCell fuel cell systems of 185 kW each, about 3 MW in total; water is the only exhaust 3.2 MW in Boat International
Hydrogen storage: Double-walled cryogenic tank of 92 m³, about 4 tonnes of liquid hydrogen at −253 °C
On hydrogen alone: About a week at anchor on hotel load, or cruising at 10 kn
Stored energy: 543 kWh on board
Generators: 3 × MTU 16V4000 M35S and 2 × MTU 16V2000 M41B, able to burn hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)
Alternative fuel: The fuel cells can run on methanol when hydrogen is not available
Propulsion: 2 × ABB azimuthing pod drives (DO1100), 3,200 kW each
Top speed: 17 kn
Cruising speed: 14 kn (hybrid); 10 kn on hydrogen
Range: 6,500 nm at 14 kn
Fuel capacity: 580,800 litres
Fresh water: 185,000 litres
Guests: 30 in 12 cabins 15 staterooms in the Boat International directory; up to 12 charter guests at Edmiston
Crew: 44 46 in the Boat International directory and at Edmiston
Hull openings: 14 slide-out balconies and 7 opening platforms: more hull openings than on any earlier Feadship
On board: Underwater lounge in the keel with six windows; 8.2 m glass-bottomed pool with contraflow; beach club, spa, sauna and plunge pools; 12-seat Dolby Atmos cinema; library; hospital; a court for tennis or basketball on the foredeck; an owner's deck with two bedrooms, offices and a gym
Hydrogen bunkering: First superyacht supplied with liquid hydrogen in the Netherlands (Port of Amsterdam, June 2025); refuelled with liquid hydrogen at Port Vauban, Antibes, June 2025
Flag: Cayman Islands
Owner: Reported to have been commissioned by Bill Gates (Fortune, July 2025); sold in September 2025; the buyer was not named in the sale announcement
Reported cost: Valued at US$645 million in Fortune's report of her sale listing (July 2025); asking price not published (price on application)
Charter: Available, with Edmiston as central agent
For sale: Sold in September 2025; not listed for sale (October 2026)

Where is she now

Live AIS position on:

MarineTraffic VesselFinder

IMO 9899650 · MMSI 319300600

Questions

Is Breakthrough the first hydrogen-powered superyacht?

Her builder Feadship describes her as the world's first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht (Feadship), and the judges of the 2026 World Superyacht Awards called her the first to use cryogenic hydrogen for fuel-cell propulsion (Boat International, May 2026).

How does Breakthrough's hydrogen system work?

Liquid hydrogen is stored at −253 °C in a 92 m³ double-walled tank holding about 4 tonnes and fed to 16 fuel cells, which make electricity without combustion; the only exhaust is water (SWZ|Maritime, Feadship). On hydrogen alone she can run for about a week at anchor or cruise at 10 knots; for long passages her generators burn HVO, and the fuel cells can also run on methanol (SWZ|Maritime).

How big is Breakthrough?

She is 118.80 metres (389 ft 9 in) long with a 19-metre beam (Feadship) and a gross tonnage of 7,247 (Boat International). She sleeps 30 guests in 12 cabins with 44 crew (Boat International, 2025).

Who owns the yacht Breakthrough?

Fortune reported in July 2025 that she was commissioned by Bill Gates (Fortune). She was sold through Edmiston in September 2025; the sale announcement did not name the buyer (Boat International).

How much did Breakthrough cost?

The build cost has not been published. When she was listed for sale in 2025, Fortune put her value at US$645 million (Fortune, July 2025), while Boat International gave the asking price only as on application (Boat International).

Can you charter Breakthrough?

Yes. After her sale in September 2025 she joined the charter market, with Edmiston as exclusive central agent (Boat International, Edmiston).

Where is Breakthrough now?

Her live position is shown on public AIS trackers: MarineTraffic and VesselFinder. Search by IMO 9899650 or MMSI 319300600.

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Breakthrough

Videos

Photos

Further reading

Specifications

Where is she now

Questions

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