Columbus custom 50m 'Lady': a truly virus-free superyacht

Columbus custom 50m 'Lady' © Columbus Yachts

Columbus custom 50m 'Lady' © Columbus Yachts

Columbus custom 50m 'Lady' © Columbus Yachts

The construction of the new 50-metre Custom superyacht called 'Lady' under the Columbus brand is proceeding rapidly at the Ancona shipyard of Palumbo Superyachts.

• Palumbo Superyachts confirms its leadership in the research and implementation of innovative technical solutions for the yacht industry market;
• Cold plasma or non-thermal plasma technology for the sanitization of yachts;
• Effective system against gram + and - bacteria, moulds and yeasts, viruses, bacterial endotoxins, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and odours;
• Systematic and timed sanitization of rooms.

The project represents a unique challenge in terms of environmental sustainability and equipment and is destined to become a reference point on the market for technologies aimed at reducing environmental impact and increasing on-board comfort.

In addition to the "green" innovations, the Palumbo Superyachts Research and Development team made use of cutting-edge solutions to ensure the elimination of viruses and bacteria from the outside air and the sanitization of every room inside the boat.

Indoor air pollution represents a real public health hazard and it is therefore necessary and urgent to reduce the sources of contamination and the concentration of pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, naphthalene, compounds volatile organics, toluene, etc.

The 50-metre 'Lady' will make use of two distinct and highly innovative technologies: one is intended for both the ventilation and the conditioning of the air coming from the outside and it sanitises it through the use of cold plasma; the other one is dedicated to the sanitization of the rooms at predefined intervals to ensure daily safety. The former guarantees the elimination of viruses and bacteria from the external air entering on board, while the latter automates the sanitization of each room inside the boat.

The first system is based on the use of cold plasma or non-thermal plasma (NTP) which is considered the safest process for oxidizing and decomposing pollutants; moreover the process is adjustable according to the actual sanitization needs. The device is effective on gram + and - bacteria, moulds and yeasts, viruses, bacterial endotoxins, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and odours.

NTP prevents the formation of bacterial colonies on the internal surfaces of newly built pipes and the spread of contamination through the air flow in transit. On existing pipelines, with the presence of already developed bacterial colonies, NTP oxidizes microorganisms making the pre-existing particle deposits microbiologically inert. Sanitization takes place already after the first hours of ignition.

To carry out local sanitisation on each deck of the yacht, a vaporization system was created for water mixed with sanitizing liquid inside the air ducts.

The equipment operating the sanitizing mixture will be combined with a timer for the vaporized disinfection of the ventilation system to take place according to predefined settings.

Palumbo Superyachts confirms its leadership in the research and implementation of innovative technical solutions for the yacht industry market.