Greenpeace International has signed a contract for the construction of a “revolutionary” new green sailing ship that it will command to “chase and confront looters and polluters” on the high seas, the environmental organisation announced on Thursday.
Fabien Rondal, deputy international programme director at Greenpeace International, announced in a statement that the organisation had partnered with Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, after an exhaustive tender process, to complete the “ambitious” shipbuilding project.
“This new vessel will be more than a campaign tool – it has been designed to pioneer sustainable technology, showing in practice that long-distance voyages at sea can be accomplished using different sources of renewable energy,” Rondal said.
“The decision to begin construction comes after years of design work to ensure it will be on the cutting edge of sustainable shipping at launch. At a time when the maritime industry is under increasing pressure to get its act together in terms of emissions reduction, our 75-metre new ship will lead the way by showing how a smart combination of green technologies can power high seas shipping.”
Rondal added that the vessel would serve as both a “source of inspiration and a challenge to an industry which is still far too reliant on fossil fuels”.
“It is a sailing vessel at heart – but one which will be revolutionary. With more than 2 000 sqm of sails supporting energy regeneration on board, battery packs and solar panels, our new ship will optimally harness the power of the wind and the sun. It will be as close to fossil fuel-free as possible at launch and has been designed to transition to 100% green energy as soon as technically and logistically possible,” Rondal said.
Assuming fundraising goes as hoped, the organisation expects the new ship to start campaigning in 2027.
“We will use this revolutionary new ship to chase and confront looters and polluters on the high seas – in the places where few others can go. We will showcase the hidden beauty of a world worth fighting for and shine an unflinching light on those who put greed and profit before people and planet.
“We know that what we do in the next decade will shape the rest of the century. We know that every half-degree of global warming, every half-metre of sea level rise, every species that vanishes from the planet, will reverberate into the future,” he said.
