SanLorenzo has announced that it will be building its first full-cell powered vessel but there is a bit of a caviat. The vessel will be 50-meters and to be built for the CEO of the yard as a test bed for the fuel-cell technology. The fuel-cell technology will be powering the hotel-loading of the yacht and not the propulsion! There is naturally no major information about the yacht or even renderings. By 2024 the vessel should be completed and be the world's first 50-meter with Fuel Cell technology onboard. They plan to be using reformed methanol to produce the electricity. Of course this company is NOT the first to be going in this direction. German custom superyacht builder Lurssen is the first to be building a large superyacht with this technology onboard.
This is great news. I’m ok with them going diesel/fuel cell; it allows them to test things out and work out any of the kinks before selling a complete fuel cell yacht to a customer. Gaining knowledge of how the system will perform is important for long term implementation.
"Almax" will be on display at this month's coming Cannes Yachting Festival. The show starts tomorrow and runs through to the 15th of September.