Expedition Zero and Innovation Yachts have formed a joint venture to bring the sustainable composite material EcoMinera to market.
EcoMinera is a mineral fibre and bio-based resin composite material that has been used in Innovation Yachts’ Open60 racing yacht, which has completed thousands of miles of ocean testing and is preparing for a world record attempt in 2026.
EcoMinera uses mineral fibre and bio-based resin to create a sustainable and fully recyclable marine composite that is free from harmful chemicals.
Other features of EcoMinera include high impact and heat resistance, high strength to weight. The material is also corrosion-free and water-repellent and built using circular production methods.
This partnership brings us one step closer to our goal of building the world’s most sustainable fleet.
Andrew Cowen
The material is the result of more than 15 years of research and development into sustainable materials and circular production processes.
Innovation Yachts is led by solo sailor, Vendée Globe yacht race finisher and engineer Norbert Sedlacek, and concentrates on cutting edge sustainable yacht design and production.
“EcoMinera is the the brand name for the incredible mineral fibre based composite technology, developed by Norbert and his team over the last 15 years,” said a spokesman from Expedition Zero.
“EcoMinera out-performs fibreglass for strength, stiffness and weight while also being corrosion proof and fire resistant.
Worldwide fibreglass substitute
“Constructed with pure mineral fibre and a unique bio-based resin, it is low environmental impact in construction and fully recyclable at end of life.”
The partnership between the two companies aims to commercialise EcoMinera and make it a worldwide substitute for fibreglass suitable for marine and non-marine applications.
Expedition Zero will also use EcoMinera to build its own fleet of yachts.
“This partnership brings us one step closer to our goal of building the world’s most sustainable fleet,” said Andrew Cowen, co-founder of Expedition Zero.
“EcoMinera is a proven material that sets a new benchmark for marine sustainability, and we’re proud to be first to market with this technology after rigorous testing.”
Extreme ocean conditions
The company’s expertise in building high-performance, yet sustainable vessels using alternative materials has been instrumental in validating EcoMinera under extreme ocean conditions.
“As the world’s first shipyard, after extensive in-house laboratory work, Innovation Yachts constructed in 2012 the world’s first prototype made of volcanic fibre, the Open 16 Fipofix, and sailed three world first transatlantic records with this boat,” explained Norbert.
“In 2023, Innovation Yachts won the Ocean Tribute Award for the world’s first series-produced yacht, the Catamaran LBV35, which is fully recyclable and powered exclusively by renewable energy.
“That is why we now want to take the next step with our partner Expedition Zero and use our sustainable and recyclable yacht building concept for a new generation of yachts no matter which size.”
