When Fuels Rush In

Hydrogen and methanol are poised to become yachting's sustainability darlings. Getting there will be complicated.

- Michael Verdon

WILL THAT BE methanol, biofuel or hydrogen for your superyacht? It’s something you might hear at the fuel dock in the not-so-distant future. That’s because builders have essentially been pushed onto a carbon-neutral timeline. “Both the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and European Commission are asking for drastic carbon reductions,” says Paolo Bertetti, vice president of research and development for Sanlorenzo Yachts, of cuts that could be as much as 40 per cent by 2030 using the IMO framework. “At the same time, environmentalists are also targeting us.”

This scenario has prompted three approaches to cleaner propulsion: hydrogen fuel cells for yachts under 79ft, green methanol converted to hydrogen for larger vessels, and hybrid diesel power acting as an interim solution for both categories. The last uses hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), which emits 90 per cent fewer carbon emissions than diesel but can be used in conventional engines.

High-tech motorboats powered by hydrogen fuel cells, batteries and electric motors are already on the water, courtesy of the America’s Cup and its 33ft chase boats. Emirates Team New Zealand was first with its foiling tender, Chase Zero, followed closely by American Magic’s HV3, designed and built by Sanlorenzo’s Bluegame brand. Both craft use the same hydrogen-producing Proton Exchange Membrane technology that helps power Toyota’s Mirai electric vehicle. In the boats, the technology delivers 50-knot top speeds, 249kg payloads, and 180 nautical miles at 27 knots.