Peace Boat and DNV GL Pen Agreement for Ecoship Partnership

DNV GL and Peace Boat signed an agreement to cooperate on the development of Ecoship cruise vessel.

DNV GL has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Peace Boat to partner on the development of the Ecoship cruise vessel.

As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, Ecoship is a hybrid wind and solar powered vessel equipped with a "future-ready" hybrid engine - expected to become the "world's greenest" cruise ship.

"The cruise industry is growing so fast, particularly in East Asia, and the need to mitigate the environmental impact of such expansion is very important," said Yoshioka Tatsuya, Founder and Director of Peace Boat.

"Through its technical characteristics and in the programmes that it carries out we hope it will encourage a model for 'green' cruising and further innovations in the cruise industry."

The agreement, which was signed at the SMM trade fair on Tuesday in Hamburg, will see the the two companies work together through Ecoship's the design, construction, and operation phases, as well as the promotion of the Ecoship as a flagship for climate action and sustainable shipping.

"It's very special to work with a customer, who is so in tune with the values of DNV GL. Their emphasis on sustainability, achieved through innovative approaches and the smarter use of technology, matches our own – and this project could be a great showcase for the industry. It is a privilege to be part of this," said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime.

The Ecoship design is noted to incorporates efficiency enhancing technology, minisming both environmental impacts and wastes.

The vessel will feature ten masts to harness wind energy for propulsion, solar panel-covered sails, a 6,000m2 solar farm on the vessels top deck, and waste heat recovery systems to reclaim energy normally lost into the air and water - an estimated 80 percent.

"We believe DNV GL has an important capacity to evaluate novel designs and is very agile in providing the proper answer to each new safety and technical challenge," commented Andres Molina, Ecoship Project Director.

As Ship & Bunker previously reported, the Ecoship's maiden voyage is slated for 2020, with the vessel set to offer educational voyages, and serve as a "floating sustainability laboratory," contributing to research on the ocean, climate, and green marine technologies.