Perotti took stock of Sanlorenzo's work in progress towards a carbon-neutral yacht.
The final goal is the design and construction of a superyacht powered solely by green methanol
The Sanlorenzo shipyard presented itself at Boot Düsseldorf with a press conference that, starting from the drivers of the ten-year strategic path announced at the Cannes Yachting Festival last September, illustrated the progress made to date.
Following the exclusive agreement signed with Siemens Energy for the development and integration of combined reformer/fuel cell modules into the hotel power system on yachts between 24 and 80 meters in length, and the decision announced in September 2022 to develop this system to meet the specific needs of the new 50Steel, the La Spezia-based shipyard states that the project is progressing optimally according to schedule. "The testing phase of the first reformer/fuel cell modules has begun, while the basic design of the methanol/water fueling, power management, condensation, and ventilation systems has just been completed. We are currently preparing the components of the complete system, which will be installed aboard the first 50Steel unit at the Sanlorenzo shipyard in La Spezia in early 2024," said owner Massimo Perotti.
At the same time, the project team is engaged in a risk assessment of the hotel's entire power generation system, in conjunction with Lloyd's Register. Once completed, this innovative application will represent the first concrete step in generating carbon-neutral power from next-generation fuels (e-methanol and bio-methanol) for the entire marine industry.
At the same time, Sanlorenzo is already considering a second step: the development of a carbon-neutral power generation system, which will substantially increase the power output of the reformer/fuel cell modules. "This will enable low-speed, long-range navigation in carbon-neutral conditions, using the hybrid propulsion system, overcoming the current limitations of systems that, in zero-emission mode (main engines and generators off), can only rely on the modest energy capacity of the batteries," explains the shipyard.
According to Sanlorenzo and its CEO Massimo Perotti, this second step will also require a technological leap in the yacht's structure and system configuration. The shipyard's R&D engineers and technical office, together with Lloyd's Register, will address this challenge by focusing on the development of large structural tanks suitable for the new fuel. These will be compatible with the limited space available on board and will take into account the stringent regulations currently applied to large methanol transport vessels.
The final goal for Sanlorenzo includes a third, even more ambitious step: the design and construction of a superyacht powered solely by green methanol. Power generation for maximum speed will no longer be limited to diesel engines, but will instead rely on a combination of fuel cells and internal combustion engines powered by green methanol.
These are the advances that will allow Sanlorenzo to achieve the sustainability goals set for this decade.
