Feadship has secured the exclusive rights to the MXBuster technology designed for yachts over 30 metres. The system, developed by the Dutch firm AtomicOne, intervenes in the engine’s intake and is designed to improve the combustion process itself. This means that exhaust gases are not cleaned after the fact.
Conventional exhaust gas purification systems treat the exhaust gases after combustion. MXBuster intervenes at an earlier stage. Hydrogen is produced from purified water and, together with treated steam, is fed into the engine’s intake air. According to the developers, this reduces emissions, minimises soot build-up and lowers the engine’s fuel consumption. Feadship and AtomicOne announced their partnership in October 2024. By that time, the system had already been in operation on a Feadship for over a year.
Verified measurements
Lloyd’s Register and SGS have tested and certified MXBuster on medium-speed marine engines and on generators fitted to superyachts. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) were reduced by up to 55 per cent. Lower exhaust gas temperatures and reduced levels of particulate matter were also demonstrated. On modern onshore diesel engines, the system achieved fuel savings of up to 14 per cent. Consumption of AdBlue, which is required by SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems for exhaust gas purification, fell by 25 to 35 per cent. Lloyd’s Register has approved the installation. The certified engine configuration remains unaffected.
Retrofitting without any work on the engine
MXBuster is installed as a separate unit; nothing changes on the engine itself. This is particularly of interest for existing yachts with Tier II engines. Bringing them up to the Tier III standard using conventional SCR technology is often difficult, as these systems take up a lot of space in the engine room. MXBuster requires only minor modifications. The system runs on standard diesel and on HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), a synthetic fuel derived from renewable sources.
What the first plant in operation demonstrates
The first MXBuster system installed on a Feadship has been in operation for over a year. During this time, soot deposits have completely disappeared and emissions have fallen. Initial on-board measurements also suggest lower fuel consumption, although exact figures have not yet been published. Mattes Kruize, Feadship’s Director of New Business and Supply Chain and a member of the Steering Committee for Cooperation and Innovation (K&I), considers the system relevant for both existing yachts and new builds. Many yachts with Tier II engines would require significantly more space and more extensive modifications with conventional solutions. MXBuster offers an alternative here. It could also influence how future Feadships design their engine rooms.
Implications for future new-build projects
According to the manufacturer, this compact system could reduce the size of large exhaust gas cleaning systems or render them entirely unnecessary. This would allow for greater flexibility in the layout of the engine room, and even single-storey solutions would remain possible. Feadship, AtomicOne, Eindhoven University of Technology and other maritime partners are also working on the ‘Machine Room of the Future’ programme. The aim is to combine combustion optimisation with a compact exhaust gas cleaning system. The objective is to reduce emissions without requiring as much space, weight or technical complexity as conventional systems.
Jan-Ole Puls
Editor Test & Technology
