The classification society and Japan’s NGO Peace Boat signed the MoU on Tuesday at SMM 2016 in Hamburg to collaborate on the design, construction and operation phases of the Ecoship and the promotion of the Ecoship as a flagship for climate action and sustainability in shipping.
The Ecoship concept was first heard in 2014 in Hamburg, where shipping and non-maritime experts worked together to develop a whole system-integrated design approach, based on the belief that elements of a system work best when they are specifically designed to complement rather than compensate for each other.
'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,' Tatsuya said.
Architectural naval design firm Oliver Design has based the Ecoship design on biophilic principles, using the solutions nature has evolved. The plan incorporates cutting-edge technology to improve efficiency, reduce waste and minimise environmental impacts.
Some of the most notable features are 10 masts to harness wind energy for propulsion, solar panel-covered sails and a 6,000-square-metre 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% of the energy normally lost in the air and in the water can be reclaimed for use.
'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,' said Andres Molina, Ecoship project director.
The ship is planned to sail its maiden voyage in 2020, although no firm yard order has been signed.
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