Rainbow Warrior III, Netherlands

Rainbow Warrior III is being custom built for environmental activist group Greenpeace International. Construction of the ship is scheduled for completion in 2011, in time to coincide with Greenpeace's 40th anniversary.

A $32m (€23m) contract to build the ship was awarded to Fassmer Shipyard, Germany, in July 2009. Funds for Rainbow Warrior III's construction are been sourced from various sponsors.

The 57m-long ship will use wind energy instead of fossil fuels and incorporate green marine technology.

Greenpeace will use Rainbow Warrior III in its environmental awareness campaigns. It will provide a functional platform for campaigns at sea and in harbours. The ship will be deployed on campaign operations worldwide in all climatic zones. It can be used for conducting research activities.

The ship will have the capacity to carry and launch inflatable boats in tough weather conditions. It also has a helicopter landing facility. The oceanic vessel is equipped with the latest in electronic navigation, sailing and communications equipment.

Rainbow Warrior history

Rainbow Warrior III is Greenpeace's first purpose-built ship. Her predecessors, Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Warrior II were conversion ships.

Built in 1955, Rainbow Warrior was a trawler originally named Sir William Hardy, which served the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food until 1977.

Greenpeace International relaunched the ship as Rainbow Warrior in 1978 after acquiring the vessel for £40,000. The ship was used in numerous activities such as nuclear weapons testing, seal hunting and whaling.

During a mission in 1985, the ship was sunk by the French intelligence service while in harbour in New Zealand. Rainbow Warrior II was rebuilt in 1989 on the fourth anniversary of the sinking of her predecessor.

Rainbow II is 52 years old and has completed two decades of campaigning and navigation across the world. The ship will be replaced by Rainbow Warrior III as it was found unfeasible to upgrade Rainbow Warrior II to meet Greenpeace's future global campaign challenges.

Design

Designed by Amsterdam-based naval architects Gerard Dijkstra & Partners, the ship will be the same green colour as its predecessors. A life-cycle analysis was undertaken by a research company, TNO on behalf of the architects. An optimised eco-design and sustainability report of the Rainbow Warrior III was then produced.

The superstructure and spars are made of aluminum while the hull is steel. The ship's mast has A-frame masts for sails. The sails have been made semi-automatic so that rigging-in and rigging-out becomes easier. The hull will maximise fuel conservation. The ship has a fuel capacity of 110,000l and fresh water capacity of 32,000l and an electric drive system (10kt on only 300kW). It has 30 berths.

Rainbow Warrior III also includes a biological sewage treatment, and a central filling and venting system to prevent spillage within. Water heating on board will be carried out with heat created by the engine generators.

Engine

Rainbow Warrior III will be a sailing ship mostly dependent on wind energy. It will, however, have a back-up engine – Volvo Penta D65A MT 1850 HP – that runs on diesel-electric propulsion. The back-up engine will be used during bad weather conditions and will have a speed of up to 11kt.

Propulsion

The ship, running on the back-up engine, moves at a maximum speed of 11kt. Power from the diesel-electric engine reaches the propellers through an electromotor. The ship's speed can be increased by connecting the main engine, which can elicit a maximum speed of 16kt. The main engine powers the propellers mechanically. However, this increases the emission levels.

Rainbow Warrior missions

Outfitted with advanced communication and electronic navigations systems, the Rainbow Warrior ships have been active participants in many environmental campaigns. In 1985, the ship relocated the South Pacific Island's population – the evacuation transported 300 islanders and over 100t of building materials in ten days.

In 2004, the ship provided relief to disaster victims of tsunami in South East Asia. Rainbow Warrior campaigned against the French Government's nuclear testing from 9 June 1995 until 20 March 1996 and won a mission for a nuclear-free Pacific.