First Damen B-shore converter in ‘world-first’ museum boat

Damen’s B-Shore power converter has been commissioned for the Art Explorer museum boat. (Photo: Damen)

Damen and Art Explora announced the commissioning of the first B-Shore power converter for the Art Explorer, which is said to be the world’s largest sailing catamaran and first museum boat. This first commissioning of the B-Shore power converter marks a significant milestone in sustainable power management for maritime operations, said Damen.

The 47m-long and 55m-high Art Explorer features an immersive exhibition designed with the collaboration of the Musée du Louvre, a sound experience developed with Ircam and onboard artist residencies. The ship was designed by architects Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier and built at the Perini Navi shipyard in Italy. It belongs to a private owner and will be lent for six months a year to the Art Explora Foundation, which will use it as a museum to transport up to 2,000 passengers daily. For the remainder of the year, the vessel will be used for charter and private purposes.

Due to the dual role of the yacht, a clear electrical separation was implemented between the hotel and museum segments. Art Explora system architect Guy Butterati said, “Due to weight restrictions, it was not possible to install a second galvanic isolation for the museum system on board the yacht. In addition, we have plans to present the yacht as a museum beyond the borders of Europe. A less stable electrical network is expected in this new environment. The Damen B-Shore is the ideal solution for us to deal with these issues.”

Announced by Damen in October 2022, the B-Shore converter series – developed in partnership with Mc Energy – provides a solution to shore power frequency fluctuations, adapts to any shore installation and ensures connection to shore power anytime, anywhere, Damen stated. The transformer supports multiple voltage inputs and outputs. By simply connecting the device to the available grid supply, the boat has a safe electrical power supply, the company added.

“The plug-and-play concept of the B-Shore is very practical. Connecting and activating it doesn’t pose much of a challenge for an average electrical engineer,” said Tom Busse, project manager at Damen Services.

Its installation for the Art Explorer proved seamless. “The activation of the B-Shore went smoothly on the first try, so we are happy,” said Busse. “But more importantly, our customer is happy.”