Breakthrough: The first 50m hydrogen fuel cell superyacht will be delivered in 2024.

Italian yacht manufacturer San Lao Lunzuo announced that it plans to build and deliver the first hydrogen fuel cell superyacht by 2024.

Massimo Perotti, CEO of San Lao Lunzuo, will be the first owner of this 50-meter-long pioneering yacht, and he will provide funds for the development of hydrogen technology on board and then deliver it to the company's customers, the statement said. The boat is equipped with hydrogen fuel cell, which uses hydrogen generated by methanol to generate electricity and will be delivered to him for personal use in 2024. The CEO also confirmed that this will be the first 50-meter motor yacht equipped with this technology.

This innovative solution will enable the St. Lao Lunzuo yacht equipped with propulsion system to generate electricity when the generator and engine are turned off. The fuel cell will generate enough electricity to power the ship's load, which will prolong the non-diesel consumption time during mooring and maneuvering. The company added that the "net zero greenhouse gas emission" system will also be compatible with the limited space on board.

In order to bring this technology to the market, Saint Lao Lunzuo has reached an exclusive partnership with Siemens Energy, and both parties will jointly develop fuel cell solutions in the market of 24m to 80m. According to the agreement between the two companies, two yachts above 50 meters and below 50 meters will use the new generation diesel electric propulsion system.

Perotti said in a statement that the project is "extremely important" and is "an avant-garde experiment to introduce a new paradigm in the field of contemporary yachting".

There are similar projects in other regions, and German shipyard Lürssen also signed an order for a super yacht powered by fuel cells in April 2021. This yacht was commissioned by a "pioneering and technology-driven customer" and will feature hydrogen fuel cell technology. Hydrogen is converted from methanol.

Italian shipyard Baglietto also announced at Monaco Yacht Show in 2021 that it would invest similar technology in a project called "BZERO". Fabio Ermetto, the chief commercial officer, said that the application of this technology on the 52-meter-long hull was already under way.