zoomImage Courtesy: DNV GL

Classification society DNV GL and Peace Boat, the Japan-based international non-profit NGO, inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at SMM maritime trade fair in Hamburg on September 6, forming a partnership to develop the Ecoship cruise ship.

According to DNV GL, the MoU will see the partners work together on the design, construction and operation phases of the vessel and the promotion of the Ecoship as a flagship for climate action, the sustainable development goals and for sustainability in shipping.

Planned to sail in 2020, the 55,000 ton ship will be able to accommodate 2,000 passengers.

Peace Boat aims at creating a vessel design and a set of specifications that “incorporates environmentally friendly technologies, is out in front of incoming regulations, and offers a transition model towards a low-carbon economy.”

The vessel has been designed by an architectural naval design company Oliver Design. The design incorporates features such as ten masts to harness wind energy for propulsion, solar panel-covered sails and a 6,000 m² top-deck solar farm, a closed-loop water system to reuse, purify and re-purpose water and waste heat recovery systems.

“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. 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,” Yoshioka Tatsuya, Founder and Director of Peace Boat, said.