Sanlorenzo on 'Road to 2030' with New Sustainability and Technology Innovations

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Sanlorenzo held a press conference at the recent Boot Düsseldorf show, giving an update on progress on the shipyard’s ten-year strategic plan, “Road to 2030”, which has a major focus on sustainability and innovation.
In 2023, Sanlorenzo became the Project Partner of the Blue Innovation Dock, a Boot Düsseldorf platform that brings together voices and projects dedicated to sustainability, which is an overarching priority for the future, not just within the yachting industry. Regarded as a pioneer in responsible development, Sanlorenzo, as a listed company, has shared this strategy with stakeholders, making it a formal commitment in the company’s non-financial statements that are publicly reported. This commitment has earned Sanlorenzo the ‘Sustainability Excellence Award 2022’.

Partnering with Siemens Energy, Sanlorenzo has worked on several projects of absolute technological innovation that have only been made possible thanks to these exclusive strategic agreements with the energy giant. Even though 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.

Through this partnership came 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. It was also announced in September 2022 that Sanlorenzo would continue to advance this system for the specific requirements of the new 50Steel model, which the shipyard has revealed is all going according to plan.

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 next 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 the next step in their sustainability plan: 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 are all the extraordinary advances that will enable Sanlorenzo to achieve their sustainability goals set for this decade, and we are in full support of their impressive efforts.
 
Bluegame America's Cup
 
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.
For more enquiries on Sanlorenzo’s sustainability initiatives, or Sanlorenzo yachts, please get in touch with our dedicated team at sanlorenzo@simpsonmarine.com.
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