Almax (now Contigo): the first methanol fuel-cell superyacht, 49.99 m Sanlorenzo

In short

Almax is a 49.99-metre steel motor yacht that Sanlorenzo launched at La Spezia in May 2024 as the first hull of its 50Steel line, and she has sailed as Contigo since late 2025 or early 2026 (Boat International, Boat International). Her claim is the power plant for life on board: a fuel cell system developed with Siemens Energy converts green methanol into hydrogen and then into up to 100 kW of electricity, so the hotel load can run at anchor with engines and generators off and without hydrogen stored on board; the yard and the trade press call her the first superyacht with such a system (Sanlorenzo, SuperyachtNews, Boat International). According to Boat International, Massimo Perotti, then chairman and chief executive of Sanlorenzo, had her built for himself to test the technology, and the yard's patented Hidden Engine Room moved the machinery down to the tank deck to free a 150-square-metre beach club at the waterline (Boat International, Boat International). The trade-offs are published too: the fuel cell took 18 square metres from the owner's bathroom, its 100 kW covers the hotel load rather than propulsion, and e-methanol carries about a third of the energy of diesel per litre (Boat International).

Yachting magazine's 2025 Innovation Award to Sanlorenzo, citing the methanol fuel cell on Almax — Yachting, 2025 Yachting Innovation Award Winner: Sanlorenzo (Kim Kavin)
Yacht Style Awards 2025: winner, Superyachts 40–60 m (model award) — YachtBuyer, Contigo (ex Almax)
Robb Report 2025: winner, Advanced Technology — YachtBuyer, Contigo (ex Almax)

Videos

Four tours from YouTube, most viewed first.

**ONBOARD Sanlorenzo's 50m ALMAX, FIRST superyacht with a METHANOL FUEL CELL**SuperYacht Times · 2024-12-11 · 55,213 viewsWatch on YouTube

**Sanlorenzo 50Steel**Sanlorenzo Yacht · 2025-02-05 · 12,172 viewsWatch on YouTube

**49.9m Almax | Sanlorenzo 50Steel | Smart Yachts**SMART YACHTS · 2024-09-23 · 6,758 viewsWatch on YouTube

**CONTIGO | 2024 | 50M | 10 Guests | Luxury motor yacht for charter**Cecil Wright · 2026-04-20 · 1,371 viewsWatch on YouTube

Photos

Almax seen from the bow quarter beside the shipyard launch quay, with crew on the upper deck and a line of flags to the mast — At the launch quay of the Sanlorenzo yard in La Spezia

Aerial view of the stern of the 50Steel with the beach club open: side terraces folded down, a small pool and sun loungers at water level — Beach club with the terraces folded out

Specifications

Length overall: 49.99 m (164 ft) 50.00 m in the shipyard's specification; 49.9 m in Boat International news
Length at waterline: 46.73 m
Beam: 9.4 m 9.35 m at Boat International's directory
Draught: 2.96 m at full load 2.9 m at Boat International's directory
Gross tonnage: 499
Construction: Steel hull, aluminium superstructure
Main engines: Two MAN D2862-LE489 diesels, 1,066 kW (1,450 PS) each
Fuel cell: Reformer fuel cell system by Siemens Energy: green methanol is converted into hydrogen on board and then into electricity, up to 100 kW, with no hydrogen stored; it powers the hotel load, not propulsion
Hotel load: 45–50 kW at night and 80–90 kW by day, by Sanlorenzo's figures; batteries can be charged by the fuel cell, the generator, the hybrid system or shore power
Time on methanol: About a week on board with all systems running before refuelling with methanol (Sanlorenzo estimate)
Engine room: Hidden Engine Room (HER), patented by Sanlorenzo: propulsion laid out horizontally and the machinery moved to the tank deck under the beach club
Top speed: 16 kn
Cruising speed: 12 kn 12.5 kn at YachtBuyer
Range: 4,000 nautical miles at 10 kn
Fuel capacity: 55,000 litres
Guests: 10 in five cabins: owner's cabin and four doubles
Crew: 9 7 at Boat International's directory; 11 in charter listings
On board: Ocean Lounge beach club of 150 m² at water level with a pool and fold-out terraces; glass-sided pool on the sun deck; gym, sauna and spa with a hammam; five decks split into nine levels, with ceilings of almost four metres in an amidships area
Tenders: Wajer 55 chase boat, Castoldi 23 jet tender and a rescue boat
Builder: Sanlorenzo, La Spezia, Italy; first hull of the 50Steel line
Naval architecture: Sanlorenzo
Exterior design: Zuccon International Project (Bernardo Zuccon)
Interior design: Piero Lissoni Sanlorenzo at Boat International's directory
Rules: Designed and built to Lloyd's Register technical standards; Lloyd's drew up guidelines for the fuel-cell installation in parallel with its development
Keel laid: 1 March 2022
Launched: May 2024, La Spezia 18 May 2024 at YachtBuyer
Delivered: July 2024
Names: Almax (2024–2025); Contigo (by February 2026)
Flag: Cayman Islands Malta until late 2025
Owner: Reported by Boat International (September 2024) to have been built for Massimo Perotti, then chairman and chief executive of Sanlorenzo. Current owner: private owner
Charter: Available, as Contigo
For sale: Not listed for sale (October 2026)

Where is she now

Live AIS position on:

MarineTraffic VesselFinder

IMO 9966269 · MMSI 319334800

Questions

What is special about the yacht Almax?

She was the first superyacht with a reformer fuel cell: a Siemens Energy system turns green methanol into hydrogen on board and then into up to 100 kW of electricity for the hotel load, so the yacht can sit at anchor with engines and generators off (SuperyachtNews, Boat International). Sanlorenzo estimates this covers about 90% of a superyacht's typical usage time (Boat International).

How does a methanol fuel cell work on a yacht?

On Almax the fuel-cell system first reforms methanol into hydrogen, which is fed straight into the fuel cells; there a chemical reaction produces electricity and water, with no combustion and no hydrogen tank on board (Boat International, SuperyachtNews). The 100 kW output is matched to the hotel load, which Sanlorenzo puts at 45–50 kW at night and 80–90 kW by day; propulsion stays diesel (Boat International).

Is Almax the same yacht as Contigo?

Yes. The first Sanlorenzo 50Steel was delivered as Almax in 2024 and now sails as Contigo under the Cayman Islands flag (Boat International, Boat International). In November 2025 she was still listed as Almax under the Maltese flag (Boat International).

Who owns Almax?

According to Boat International, she was built for Massimo Perotti, then chairman and chief executive of Sanlorenzo, who took on the project himself because the fuel-cell technology was new (Boat International). After her renaming as Contigo the owner has not been named; she is privately owned.

Can you charter Contigo?

Yes. Contigo is offered for charter for up to 10 guests in five cabins, in the Mediterranean in summer and the Caribbean in winter (YachtCharterFleet).

Where is Almax now?

She sails as Contigo, IMO 9966269 and MMSI 319334800, under the Cayman Islands flag; her live position can be followed on VesselFinder.

Compare with

Other yachts on the Hyperyachts list built around a new way of powering a superyacht.

Almax

Videos

Photos

Further reading

Specifications

Where is she now

Questions

Compare with

Breakthrough

Savannah

Silver Cloud