Google co-founder’s Rs 4,300 crore yacht docked where Spanish Navy refuels: The reason and its refuelling cost will surprise you

Sergey Brin’s $450 million yacht Dragonfly is so large that a routine refuelling stop requires industrial-scale infrastructure, while its enormous dimensions have also forced it to use a Spanish Navy cruise berth.

The 466-foot (142.1-metre) Lürssen-built superyacht, delivered in 2024 and valued at approximately $450 million (around ₹4,253 crore), is too large for conventional marina facilities. Its size means it must rely on commercial bunkering infrastructure for fuel and, on a recent visit, use a berth normally associated with Spanish Navy and cruise operations.

Why Dragonfly had to use a Spanish Navy berth

Dragonfly’s 142-metre length puts it beyond the capacity of many dedicated superyacht marinas. Gibraltar’s Ocean Village Marina, for example, can accommodate superyachts of up to around 100 metres.


As a result, the yacht has to use larger commercial port facilities. During its recent movement, Dragonfly was reported at a Spanish Navy cruise berth in Mahón, where its size made the facility more suitable than a conventional yacht marina.

The arrangement highlights one of the practical challenges of operating an ultra-large private yacht. Although Dragonfly is designed as a luxury vessel, its dimensions mean it often needs infrastructure intended for much larger commercial or military vessels.

Gibraltar is another important operational stop because of its industrial-scale bunkering facilities and location at the gateway between the Atlantic and Mediterranean. More than 60,000 vessels pass through the Strait each year, making the territory an established refuelling hub.

AIS records show Dragonfly travelled roughly 463 nautical miles from Palma de Mallorca towards Gibraltar before continuing its journey. Its latest reported destination was Alcudia, Spain, according to MarineTraffic.

Refuelling Dragonfly can cost crores

The scale of Dragonfly becomes particularly striking when its fuel requirements are considered.

Gibraltar’s bunkering operation, run through Gib Oil’s Western Arm terminal, can supply fuel through its pipeline system at rates of up to 80 metric tons per hour. At that maximum rate, a full refuelling operation could take around 13 hours, depending on the quantity required.

A partial 500-metric-ton refill would amount to roughly 581,000 litres of diesel. At indicative Gibraltar marine gas oil prices of $1,380 to $1,440 per metric ton, that quantity could cost between $690,000 and $720,000, or approximately ₹6.52 crore to ₹6.80 crore.

At the maximum pumping rate, supplying 500 metric tons would take about 6¼ hours.

A larger 1,000-metric-ton uplift would amount to around 1.16 million litres. The bill would rise to approximately $1.38 million to $1.44 million, equivalent to about ₹13.04 crore to ₹13.61 crore, while pumping would take roughly 12½ hours.

The dollar-to-rupee conversions are approximate and based on an exchange rate of around ₹94.5 per US dollar.

Why ordinary fuel tankers are not practical

Delivering the same amount of fuel through conventional road tankers would be far less efficient.

A 1.16-million-litre delivery would require roughly 58 truckloads, or about 60 tankers when rounded. Using trucks carrying 20,000 litres each, the operation could take around two days.

Gibraltar’s infrastructure is therefore particularly suited to a vessel such as Dragonfly. Its bunkering facilities include 18 tanks holding around 3,200 metric tons of marine gas oil and automotive gas oil, as well as a separate facility capable of storing another 13,350 metric tons of marine gas oil.

Barges are also available for vessels that need to refuel at anchor or require different fuel grades.

A 9,408-ton floating complex

Dragonfly is far more than a conventional private yacht. The 9,408-gross-ton vessel uses a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system powered by two MAN 16V28/33D diesel engines.

Each engine is roughly the size of a semi-truck, weighs 44 tons and generates 9,760 hp. Together, they give the yacht a reported top speed of 24 knots.

Germán Frers designed the yacht, while Nauta Design handled its interiors and social spaces. The vessel also has a dedicated business deck, reflecting Sergey Brin’s apparent intention to work while travelling.

Its five decks include a glass-bottom swimming pool, spa, gym, games room, cinema, beauty salon, elevators, galleys, refrigeration and laundry facilities. It also carries navigation and communications systems, water-making and waste-treatment equipment, as well as infrastructure for tenders and helicopter operations.

The hybrid propulsion system can improve efficiency and reduce noise, but Dragonfly still depends on diesel fuel to generate the energy required for propulsion and its extensive onboard facilities.

For a yacht of this scale, even a routine fuel stop is therefore a major logistical operation, involving commercial-scale infrastructure rather than the facilities normally associated with private marinas.