International non-profit organization Greenpeace has signed a contract with Spain’s Freire Shipyard to begin construction of a new eco-friendly sailing ship.
The new vessel is designed to pioneer sustainable technology and demonstrate that long-distance sea voyages can be accomplished using various renewable energy sources. According to Greenpeace, this decision follows years of design work aimed at ensuring the ship’s role in sustainable shipping from its launch.
The 75-meter-long ship will feature over 2,000 square meters of sails, battery packs, and solar panels to support energy regeneration on board. It will harness the power of both wind and sun, striving to be as close to fossil fuel-free as possible at launch. The ship is designed to transition to 100 percent green energy as soon as it is technically and logistically feasible.
Following the contract signing, Greenpeace will begin raising donations to fund the project. If fundraising is completed on time, the organization expects the vessel to start its campaign in 2027.
“We trust that in the coming years more will join this small group to demand and manifest a vessel which is radical today, but that we hope will one day become normal,” Greenpeace stated.
“We know that what we do in the next decade will shape the rest of the century. Every half-degree of global warming, every half-meter of sea level rise, and every species that vanishes from the planet will reverberate into the future.”
