Sanlorenzo has announced the LIFE MYSTIC (Methanol for Yachting Sustainable Energy Transition applied to Internal Combustion engines) project. Co-funded by the EU and developed in collaboration with Nanni Industries and Ranieri Tonissi, it will last 54 months and involve a total investment of over €4.8 million.

The aim of the project is to test engines and generators for superyachts powered by a combination of diesel and methanol. Significant results are expected in terms of reduced environmental impact:
• Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions: 150t/y CO₂eq
• Reduction in fossil primary energy consumption: 700MWh/y
• Reduction in air quality contamination: 630kg/y   

LIFE MYSTIC plans to house two high-speed four-stroke MAN diesel engines on board a superyacht with two four-stroke diesel generators adapted to operate in bi-fuel green methanol-diesel. The process involves careful engineering to ensure efficiency and reliability in the combustion of two different types of fuel in a single engine, having to guarantee a safe switch from diesel-only at any time and making these engines the solution for a transitional market.

Sanlorenzo will convert two traditional diesel fuel tanks into additional methanol tanks and will integrate the distribution system with the required lines and equipment, completing the conversion to bi-fuel of the entire boat.

There are two main challenges, however. The first is the design of the structural methanol tanks with the realisation of the related plant engineering, which will be complex both in terms of integration in the relatively small space of a yacht and in terms of fuel management, which must meet the stringent safety regulations in force. The second is the conversion of endothermic engines to bi-fuel, starting from existing engines, which will be done for the first time on this size of diesel engine.

Methanol is one of the most promising alternatives for the future of maritime transport, being liquid at ambient temperatures and available in more than 100 ports globally. When generated from renewable energy resources, it becomes a zero-emission fuel, as required by the net-zero strategy.

The accessibility of green methanol is a crucial point for the success of the LIFE MYSTIC project as its availability is required in order to demonstrate that it provides significant reductions in CO₂ and other pollutants. However, methanol is not currently considered a fuel in Italy, so the collaboration of all parties involved is vital to demand changes and additions to the regulations on methanol, regulations that also impose constraints on the distribution chain.

LIFE MYSTIC is part of Sanlorenzo’s ‘Road to 2030’, which has also seen the launch of 50Steel, the first superyacht in the world to use the Reformer Fuel Cell green methanol system to generate electricity, and which aims to launch the first carbon neutral vessel by 2030.

The project represents an important step forward in the sustainability of the yachting sector, and will bring benefits to the entire marine industry, both in terms of technological development and strengthening the alternative-fuel-supply chain.

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