Peace Boat and Arctech Sign for Ecoship
Peace Boat, Japan’s largest cruise organization, has signed a letter of intent with the Finnish shipbuilding company Arctech Helsinki Shipyard to construct the Ecoship, the world’s greenest cruise ship.
A final contract for the 2,000-passenger and 750-cabin 60,000gt vessel is expected to be signed shortly. The new ship is scheduled for delivery in spring 2020.
Some of the most notable features include: ten masts to harness wind energy for propulsion, solar panel-covered sails and a 6,000m2 top-deck solar farm, a closed-loop water system to reuse, purify and re-purpose water and waste heat recovery systems where it is hoped that 80 percent of the energy normally lost in the air and in the water can be reclaimed for use.
The vessel will include an onboard garden featuring plants from around the world fed by rainwater and organic waste. Plans are underway for a non-toxic, anti-fouling hull coating that mimics fish skin.
The vessel will be dual-fuel with diesel-electric pods for propulsion as well as featuring a wind energy system. Energy storage will be managed through a combination of the latest technology for batteries and hot and ice storage tanks.
The vessel will be ice class – the plans call for a Type C vessel and IMO PC7 ice class with –10 °C design temperature.
Ecoship, with its nature-inspired architectural design by Spanish company Oliver Design, will be the platform for Peace Boat’s round-the-world cruise carrying 6,000 people per year; host exhibitions on green technology in up to 100 ports per year and serve as a floating sustainability laboratory contributing to research on the ocean, climate and green marine technology. The ship also will create awareness and encourage active engagement with the challenges embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Peace Boat, Japan’s largest cruise organisation, is a social business that combines the four pillars of education, business, advocacy and travel. Peace Boat’s world cruises offer a unique program of activities centered on experiential learning and intercultural communication. Peace Boat began sailing in 1983, and today sails for 80-100 day global voyages three times every year, carrying approximately 1000 passengers per voyage. Peace Boat is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations and was nominated for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
The agreement was signed by Peace Boat director and founder Yoshioka Tatsuya, Esko Mustamaki, CEO from Arctech and Jon Rysst, Regional Manager North Europe, DNV GL.
"We believe this ship will be a game changer for the shipping industry and will contribute to the protection of the environment,” says Yoshioka. “It will be a flagship for climate change.”