MY Esperanza

MY Esperanza

"Esperanza" means "hope" in Spanish. This ship is the latest and largest addition to the Greenpeace fleet. And it is the first to be named by web poll!

Built in Gdansk, Poland, in 1984 - one of 14 vessels commissioned by the Russian government - it was used by the Russian Navy as a fire-fighting ship in Murmansk. At 72 metres, with a top speed of 18 knots, it is ideal for fast and long-range work - like chasing the Japanese whaling fleet! The Esperanza is equipped with a first class communications system. And its ice-class status also makes it suitable for work in the polar regions.

Travel with the Esperanza - Visit the webcam on the bow of the ship to see where she is right now!

 

The "greenest" ship: After buying it in early 2002, we spent many months refitting the Esperanza to the highest possible environmental standards. We have removed and contained the asbestos on board. And we have fitted more efficient diesel engines, on-board recycling of waste water, a waste-based heating system, bilge water purifiers, TBT-free hull paint, ammonia based refrigeration and air-conditioning, and an environmentally and economically efficient propulsion system to reduce CO2 emissions. It now sails as a proud example of a "green" ship!

 

 

 

Action! The Esperanza first sprung into action for Greenpeace to protest against imports of unsustainably logged wood, in the run up to the Ancient Forests Summit. It intercepted the Agat, which was carrying giant Azobe tree trunks from Liberia, off the coast of the Netherlands on 3rd March 2002. Since then, it has blockaded the Finnhawk (carrying paper with pulp made from Finland's last ancient forests), stopped the Kapitan Mochalov (carrying spruce and pine timber from the ancient forests of Russia), intercepted BNFL's deadly plutonium shipments off the coast of South Africa, been blessed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and protested at Koeberg nuclear power plant near Cape Town during the Earth Summit. Not bad for six months!