Italian shipyard Benetti has used the 2026 Monaco Yacht Show to showcase a 67-metre superyacht that replaces conventional lithium-ion batteries with salt-based chemistry, an alternative the supplier says eliminates fire protection and cooling systems while remaining up to 98 per cent recyclable.
M/Y Dagger, the fourth hull in Benetti's B.Now 67M series, pairs RWD exterior styling with interiors by Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design. Its technical significance lies beneath the accommodation: a modular hybrid system where main engines, generators and batteries can combine in different configurations depending on operational requirements.
The salt battery technology comes from Swiss company FZSONICK, owned by the Dolcetta family. The batteries use sodium metal chloride chemistry, with table, sea or mined salt, ceramic components and approximately five per cent nickel among their principal materials.
FZSONICK Sales and Marketing Director Massimo Cavaliere has previously highlighted safety and recyclability as key advantages of the technology.
"For the same weight and size, salt batteries offer safety on board without the need for fire protection and cooling systems," Cavaliere said in an interview with Superyacht News. "Disposal costs are already included in the price, and they are up to 98 per cent recyclable."
Cavaliere said the chemical reaction between salt and metals allows the batteries to store and release energy. FZSONICK holds DNV and RINA certifications for marine applications and, at the time of the interview, was in the final stages of seeking ABS certification for offshore applications.
Dagger's propulsion architecture allows the main engines to generate electricity, generators to contribute to propulsion, and batteries to handle peak electrical loads or enable silent operation. Variable-pitch propellers adapt to conditions, while waste heat from generators warms domestic water and the swimming pool.
The yacht has also joined the SEA Index-certified fleet, with its environmental performance assessed under the Yacht Club de Monaco's Lloyd's Register-certified CO₂ emissions standard.
Dagger forms part of Benetti's "Green Route" exhibition at the Yacht Club de Monaco, tracing two decades of alternative propulsion research from the yard's first diesel-electric installation in 2006. The display includes M/Y Kasper 7, the first Benetti yacht to achieve three-star SEA Index certification, and B.Neos, a 40-metre concept designed around hybrid propulsion from the outset rather than adapted later.
The distinction reflects Benetti's broader approach, with B.Neos conceived around hybrid propulsion from the drawing board rather than having the technology retrofitted to an existing hull. The shipyard claims this approach can cut energy consumption by 30 per cent compared with conventionally powered vessels of similar size.
