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M/Y Merinos, 42 metres exploring a new approach to hybrid superyachts

SES Yachts delivers M/Y Merinos, the first GX42 from GX Superyachts, combining hybrid propulsion, solar energy and an approach focused on quietness and efficiency

M/Y Merinos is the first hybrid GX42 built by SES Yachts, a 42-metre superyacht with a 940 kWh battery bank, solar panels and up to 48 hours of zero-emission hotel load at anchor

The M/Y Merinos brings to the water one of the more interesting ideas to emerge in the superyacht sector in recent years: using electrification not only to support propulsion, but also to rethink what happens when the yacht is stationary.

The first GX42, built by SES Yachts for GX Superyachts, is a 42-metre superyacht equipped with hybrid propulsion, integrated solar panels and a 940 kWh lithium battery bank. According to the shipyard, this configuration allows up to 48 hours of silent, zero-emission hotel-load operation at anchor.

More than the mere presence of a hybrid system, this figure captures the philosophy behind the project.

When silence becomes part of the experience

On a superyacht, energy is not only about moving through the water. Air conditioning, lighting, galley equipment, electronics and onboard services continue to require power even when the yacht is at anchor.

Traditionally, a significant part of that demand is covered by generators. On the GX42, the large battery bank and integrated solar generation are intended to reduce the time those generators need to operate.

SES Yachts states that the system can support up to 48 hours of zero-emission hotel load at anchor. For owners who spend long periods at anchor in the Mediterranean, that can mean less noise, fewer vibrations and a more direct connection with the surroundings.

Efficiency is therefore experienced not only through fuel-consumption figures. It can become something immediately noticeable to everyone on board.

940 kWh at the heart of the system

At the centre of Merinos’ energy system is a 940 kWh lithium battery bank, combined in the SES release with serial hybrid propulsion and integrated solar panels.

The GX42 had already been followed through the different stages of construction at SES Yachts’ facilities in Tuzla, where the project progressed from its aluminium hull and superstructure to the integration of its hybrid systems.

The most distinctive aspect, however, is the way energy is managed throughout the entire day, rather than only when the yacht is underway.

Built in Istanbul

Merinos was constructed at SES Yachts in Tuzla, Istanbul. Founded in 1977 and still family owned, the Turkish shipyard specialises in custom motor and sailing yachts and reports 91 yachts delivered between 20 and 42 metres.

For the GX42, SES Yachts acted as the builder for GX Superyachts, taking responsibility for the construction of an entirely new platform.

The first yacht entered the water in August 2026 before proceeding to sea trials ahead of its international presentation.

For SES, the project also represents an opportunity to bring traditional yacht construction together with large-scale energy storage, solar integration and hybrid propulsion within a single platform.

Hybrid is not enough on its own

The word hybrid is now widely used across the yachting industry, but it can describe very different technical solutions.

The GX42 is interesting not simply because it carries that label, but because propulsion, battery storage and solar generation have been developed as interconnected elements.

The SES Yachts release refers to two electric motors rated at 300 kWh. This wording is technically unusual, since kWh measures energy rather than motor power. MED Yachting therefore prefers not to treat this figure as a definitive technical specification until it is confirmed by the builder.

The clearly stated figures remain the 940 kWh battery capacity and the target of up to 48 hours of zero-emission hotel load at anchor.

From concept to a real yacht

GX Superyachts entered the large-yacht sector with a philosophy centred on hybrid and solar integration. With Merinos, that approach moves from concept to a yacht that has actually been built and delivered.

The first GX42 is therefore more than the debut of a new model. It also provides a practical test of how technologies already explored on smaller yachts can be transferred to a 42-metre superyacht.

At this scale, energy requirements, system complexity and expectations of comfort all increase significantly.

That is where the project becomes particularly relevant. Rather than simply replacing diesel with electricity, it seeks to use electrification to change specific parts of the onboard experience.

Monaco as a destination, not the main story

M/Y Merinos will be one of the projects through which SES Yachts presents its work at the 2026 Monaco Yacht Show, from 23 to 26 September. The shipyard will be at Stand QH2 on Quai L’Hirondelle.

SES will also present the EPOQ 36, a 36-metre project designed by Sturge & Toth and developed with Ocean Independence, with a high-efficiency hull by Van Oossanen Naval Architects.

In the case of Merinos, however, Monaco is mainly the place where the industry will be able to see the result of a process that has already reached the water.

The real news came earlier: a new 42-metre hybrid superyacht has become a functioning yacht.

Two days at anchor without generators

On a yacht of this size, 48 hours of silent hotel-load operation is a figure that goes beyond technology.

Two days at anchor without the continuous sound of generators means changing the way time on board is perceived: hearing more of the sea, reducing vibration and limiting local emissions precisely in the places where a yacht is often enjoyed most.

It does not solve the broader sustainability challenges of yachting, nor does it make a superyacht impact-free.

It does, however, address a very tangible part of the onboard experience.

And that may be the most interesting aspect of M/Y Merinos: showing that efficiency and comfort do not necessarily need to be treated as separate objectives. In some cases, better energy management can simply make time on the water more enjoyable.

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SES Yachts

15 September 2026
© MED Yachting Editorial Team
M/Y Merinos, 42 metres exploring a new approach to hybrid superyachts
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The information in this article has been sourced from and adapted from official sources and/or press releases, in accordance with our editorial code of ethics.