Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo has announced plans to build and deliver the first fuel cell-powered superyacht by 2024.
Massimo Perotti, chief executive of Sanlorenzo, will be the new owner of the 50 metre ground-breaking build and fund the development of the hydrogen technology on board. The fuel cells will generate enough electricity to power the hotel load when the generators are off allowing owners to spend more time at anchor and captains to complete manoeuvres without the need to consume fuel.
Read More/Future fuels: Is the industry doing enough and what are the alternatives?To bring the technology to market, Sanlorenzo has entered an exclusive partnership with Siemens Energy and the pair will work together to develop fuel cell solutions in the 24 to 80 metre segment of the market. The “Net-zero GHG emission” system will also be compatible with the limited space available on board.
In a statement, Perotti said the project was of "extreme importance" and an "avant-garde experimentation to introduce a new paradigm in the contemporary yachting."
Elsewhere, German shipyard Lürssen has also signed an order for a superyacht powered by fuel cell power. The yacht has been commissioned by a “pioneering and technology-driven client” and will feature fuel cell technology driven by hydrogen, which is continuously reformed from methanol.
Italian shipyard Baglietto also announced at the 2021 Monaco Yacht Show that it would be investing in similar tech in a project it is calling BZERO. Fabio Ermetto, chief commercial officer, said that work is already underway to have this application on a 52 metre hull.