Dimitris Avdelopoulos, division director, EPE Yachting

EPE Yachting draws on over 45 years of experience in protecting the marine environment through future-proof technology as a division of decarbonisation solutions provider EPE.  Accordingly, the depth of its maritime sustainability expertise reflects the tougher regulations that apply to commercial shipping and goes beyond that available from competitors in the superyacht space.

With an extensive global service network combining capabilities and infrastructure from across the group, EPE Yachting is also well equipped to support owners with maintenance and spare parts requirements – wherever their yachts are sailing.

“Given the often-narrow window of operation for carrying out services on board a commercial ship, our group of companies has developed a service network that allows engineers to reach vessels, wherever they are stationed, quickly and cost efficiently,” comments Dimitris Avdelopoulos, division director, EPE Yachting. “With yachts, the commercial basis for our services means their speed and efficiency often go above and beyond expectations – meaning minimal hassle for the owner and maximum leisure time for everyone on board.”

The challenge in serving the yachting segment, Avdelopoulos continues, lies in providing solutions that strike a balance between owners’ expectations and regulatory compliance. “Designers clearly want to maximise space on board the yacht for all the comforts and luxuries the owner and their guests expect,” he says. “However, meeting regulations is also essential, and this calls for solutions that support compliance while minimising impact on the guest experience.”

Compact systems for new build and retrofit
Avdelopoulos refers to TRITON FIT, a physiochemical sewage treatment plant that complies with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Resolution MEPC 227(64) and is certified by world-leading classification society DNV. The system’s compact dimensions and accessibility make it the perfect fit for smaller engine rooms, affording yacht designers more freedom to prioritise on-board amenities.

EPE Yachting’s portfolio of sustainable superyacht solutions also covers ballast-water-treatment systems (BWTS) from ERMA FIRST – a leading provider of maritime decarbonisation solutions – and oily water separators (OWS) from RWO, a renowned specialist in marine water management.

Supporting compliance with the ballast-water-management standards of both the IMO and the United States Coast Guard, ERMA FIRST’s oneTANK is a simple, low-cost system with the smallest footprint of any BWTS on the market. RWO’s OWS-COM bilge water treatment system is tested and approved in line with IMO Resolution MEPC 107(49) and is compact, economical, and easy to install and maintain.

To maximise design flexibility, EPE Yachting typically delivers these systems to new builds, but the company also serves the existing market with retrofit installations.

Addressing on-board requirements for fresh water, EPE Yachting also offers a compact reverse-osmosis system, ALIOS, which desalinates sea water to produce fresh water. This can then be filtered, sterilised and mineralised using a third-party drinking water system for existing vessels. Fitting comfortably underneath the galley countertop, this system eliminates the need for pallets of bottled water to be brought aboard the yacht, cutting costs and saving space. By reducing water chilling and waste disposal requirements, it also minimises energy consumption.

EPE Yachting also service wider environmental concerns. Its HERMES system, which is most often installed as a refit solution, uses diesel particle filters to capture soot and harmful particulate matter from exhaust gases. As well as reducing the impact of yacht operations on sensitive coastal environments, HERMES enhances on-board comfort by eliminating unsightly black smoke and unpleasant odours from anchored vessels.

Stricter regulation on the horizon
While EPE Yachting’s solutions help to control the environmental impact of superyachts, Avdelopoulos explains that the market is yet to embrace true decarbonisation to the extent other marine sectors have.

“Yacht owners are not yet facing the same regulatory pressures under which the wider maritime industry is now operating,” he says. “For this reason – and because superyachts have greater design limitations than large commercial vessels – discussions surrounding decarbonisation in the yachting market remain relatively abstract.”

Nevertheless, Avdelopoulos adds that with stricter regulation on the horizon, yacht owners and designers will soon have to address the topic in more concrete terms. “When that time comes, we will be ready to support the market with solutions developed for commercial ships and adapted, through scientific and engineering know-how, to the exacting requirements of superyachts,” he concludes.

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