In an innovative move towards sustainable yachting, Sanlorenzo, in collaboration with Nanni Industries and Ranieri Tonissi, has unveiled LIFE MYSTIC, a superyacht project set to introduce the world's first bi-fuel green methanol superyacht by 2027.
With a project kickoff on June 1, 2025, LIFE MYSTIC (Methanol for Yachting Sustainable energy Transition applied to Internal Combustion engines) will span 54 months and require an investment of over €4.8m, 60% of which is funded by the European Union. The core aim is to test and optimize engines and generators for superyachts, utilizing a blend of diesel and methanol to achieve significant environmental benefits. Expected outcomes include a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 150 tons of CO2 equivalent per year, a decrease in fossil primary energy consumption by 700 MWh annually, and a cut in air pollutants by 630kg per year.
LIFE MYSTIC will involve equipping a superyacht with two high-speed 4-stroke MAN diesel engines and two 4-stroke diesel generators, modified for bi-fuel operation. This adaptation, developed by Nanni Industries and Ranieri Tonissi, requires meticulous engineering to ensure efficient and reliable combustion of both fuel types, allowing for a seamless switch to diesel-only if needed. Sanlorenzo will adapt the yacht's design to include methanol storage tanks, transforming traditional diesel tanks and integrating a bi-fuel distribution system.
The project does, however, face two main challenges: designing and integrating methanol tanks within the limited space of a yacht while adhering to strict safety standards, and converting existing diesel engines to bi-fuel.
Methanol, chosen for its promising future in maritime transport, is liquid at ambient temperatures and available in over 100 ports globally. When produced from renewable energy sources, it becomes a zero-emission fuel, aligning with the net-zero strategy. The project's success depends on the availability of renewable methanol and the collaboration of regulatory bodies, supply chains, and distribution networks to amend current regulations, which do not yet recognize methanol as a fuel in Italy.
Following the launch of the Sanlorenzo 50Steel superyacht ALMAX in May 2024, the first superyacht utilizing a Reformer Fuel Cell green methanol system, the LIFE MYSTIC project sets the stage for the introduction and launch of what Sanlorenzo calls "the first carbon-neutral vessel" by 2030.
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