Greenpeace’s new Rainbow Warrior nears completion

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Rainbow-WarriorThis coming July 10th marks the 26th anniversary of the bombing and sinking of Greenpeace International’s original Rainbow Warrior.  More than a quarter of a century and EURO 23.3 million later, the environmental organization’s new flag-ship, the Rainbow Warrior III, is in the water for final preparation.

Currently undergoing construction at Germany’s Fassmer shipyard, the state-of-the-art 58 m vessel is the fleet’s first purpose-built vessel, custom designed and built from scratch with sustainability in mind.

Built primarily to sail, the Rainbow Warrior III’s power will be generated by 1,200 sq m sails on a highly efficient 55 m-high A Frame mast system, designed by Dutch naval architecture firm Dijkstra and Partners. The ship’s electric drive system will enable the vessel to reach a top speed of 10 knots on just 300 kW of power or 100 kW during motor sailing. Additionally, should weather conditions become unsuitable, the ship’s operator will have the option of switching over to engine-power since the vessel will be fitted with a hybrid engine that will be used for just 10% of operational power, and bring the vessel’s speed up to 15 knots.

According to Greenpeace, the Rainbow Warrior III will increase efficiency, reliability and sustainability.  Aside from the fact that the majority of its trips will be powered under sail, the ship contains a number of green features to increase its environmental friendliness. For instance, the vessel’s hull shape has been designed for maximum fuel conservation and is coated with a eco-friendly silicon based paint system. Additionally, engine heat will be re-used for hot water generation and engine pre-heating. The ship will also include a central filling system for oil and fuel in order to prevent spillages and biological treatment of gray and black water.

The vessel will be registered as a yacht and will be certified and classified to Germanischer Lloyd standards. Greenpeace states that the ship will have a Voluntary Environmental Protection Class notation and a Green Passport.

The Rainbow Warrior III will be launched this October to coincide with Greenpeace’s 40th anniversary. Upon completion, the vessel will be toured throughout Europe giving investors a chance to see what their donations have helped built. Following the tour the Greenpeace’s new Warrior will set off of on its first campaign. The ship will be used to monitor nuclear transports, track down illegal fishing vessels and travel globally to protect and conserve the environment and promote peace.


For more information on the Rainbow Warrior III visit http://anewwarrior.greenpeace.org

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