On track straight to 2030 Sustainability and technology: the drivers at the heart of Sanlorenzo’s strategy

Sanlorenzo showcases at Boot Düsseldorf with a press conference which, starting from the drivers of the ten-year strategic path announced in Cannes last September, illustrates its progress to date.

In 2023 Sanlorenzo is the Project Partner of the Blue Innovation Dock, the Boot Düsseldorf platform that brings together voices and projects dedicated to sustainability, the priority for the future not only of yachting.

The Sanlorenzo Group can be regarded as a pioneer in the path of responsible development and, as a listed company, its strategy is shared with stakeholders, becoming a formal commitment in the Non-Financial Statement, measured and finally publicly reported. This has earned it the ‘Sustainability Excellence Award 2022’.

These are projects of absolute technological innovation that will be made possible thanks to exclusive strategic agreements with energy giants such as Siemens Energy.

Despite the fact that yachting accounts for only 0.22% of the total GHG emissions of the entire shipping sector, (International Maritime Organisation, 2020), the introduction of innovations and technologies to reduce the environmental impact of yachts is becoming an increasingly central part of the Sanlorenzo Group’s Research and Development department’s business plan.

After the exclusive agreement signed with Siemens Energy for the development and integration of combined reformer/fuel cell modules into the power supply system for hotellerie functions on yachts between 24 and 80 metres in length, and after the decision announced in September 2022 to develop such a system for the specific requirements of the new 50Steel, we can today state that the project’s progress is proceeding right as planned.

The testing phase of the first reformer/fuel cell modules has begun, while the basic design of the methanol/water supply, power management, condensation and ventilation systems has just been completed. At present, the components of the complete system that will be installed on board the first 50Steel unit in the Sanlorenzo shipyard in La Spezia at the beginning of 2024 are under preparation. Concurrently, the project team is engaged in the Risk Assessment of the entire hotel power generation system together with Lloyd’s Register.

Once completed, this innovative application will represent the first concrete step in the generation of carbon-neutral power from new-generation fuels (E-methanol and bio-methanol) for the entire yachting industry.

At the same time, Sanlorenzo is already thinking about a second step: the development of a carbon-neutral power generation system, with a substantial increase in the power developed by the reformer/fuel cell modules.

This will make low-speed, wide-range navigation possible in carbon neutrality conditions through the hybrid propulsion system, overcoming the current limitations of systems, which in zero emission mode (main engines and generators off) can only rely on the modest energy capacity of the batteries. This second step will also require a technological leap in the yacht’s structure and plant configuration.

Sanlorenzo’s R&D and technical department engineers together with Lloyd’s Register will tackle this challenge by focusing on the development of high-capacity structural tanks suitable for the new fuel. These will be compatible with the limited space available on board and will take into account the strict regulations currently applied to large methanol transport vessels.

The ultimate goal for Sanlorenzo includes an even more ambitious third step: the design and construction of a superyacht powered solely by green methanol. The generation of the power needed to sail at maximum speed will therefore no longer be tied to diesel engines, but rather will be based on a combination of fuel cells and internal combustion engines powered by green methanol.

These, then, are the extraordinary advances that will enable Sanlorenzo to achieve the sustainability goals set for this decade.

Bluegame, in parallel, is developing other revolutionary projects embodying maximum sustainability: BGH and BGM65HH. The former will be launched in summer 2023 and the latter in summer 2025.

BGH has been chosen by the New York Yacht Club as a “chase boat” to accompany American Magic during the 37th America’s Cup to be held in Barcelona in 2024. BGH will fly at 50 knots on foils propelled by an exclusively hydrogen-powered propulsion system, therefore with zero emissions exactly like the very fast racing boat it will accompany, but without the need for wind.

On the strength of this extraordinary achievement and as proof of its design capability in the use of hydrogen in propulsion, Bluegame, through its agreement with Volvo Penta, will install the new pilot IPS hybrid propulsion system, which will be combined with hydrogen fuel cells developed from the America’s Cup ‘chase boat’ project. The BGM65HH (hydrogen-hybrid) model, which is scheduled to be launched in 2026, will house this cutting-edge technology.

The Sanlorenzo Group, reassured by the progress of ongoing projects, is confident that its goals in the ‘Road to 2030’ strategy, although very ambitious, will be achieved.