China's first multi-functional scientific research and archaeological vessel has officially docked in the Nansha District of Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. This state-of-the-art ship, measuring 104 meters in length and displacing about 10,000 tonnes, demonstrates significant advancements in China's capabilities for deep-sea exploration and cultural relic excavation.
The vessel, independently designed, developed, and built by China, is equipped to conduct deep-sea scientific investigations, excavate cultural relics, and perform scientific research in polar sea areas during the summer months, thanks to its bidirectional ice-breaking capability. It can accommodate up to 80 people, travel at a maximum speed of 16 knots (approximately 30 kilometers per hour), and has a range of 15,000 nautical miles.
Construction of the ship began in June 2023 with a total investment of around 800 million yuan (approximately $112.7 million). Deputy Chief Engineer He Guangwei of Guangzhou Shipyard International Company highlighted breakthroughs in key technologies, including overall design, intelligent control, low-temperature precise compensation, and integrated design of ice zone payload and heavy payload structures.
\"Efforts have been made to replace imported components with domestically produced ones in the development of scientific research equipment, expanding functions to actively explore the application of domestically produced equipment in polar regions,\" said He.
The vessel is scheduled for delivery at the beginning of 2025, following equipment and system debugging, outfitting of living areas, and sea trials. It is expected to serve as an open and shared maritime platform for multi-system integration, multidisciplinary collaboration, and innovative development in China.
This advancement symbolizes significant progress in China's autonomous control over deep-sea scientific research equipment and ship design for polar operations. The new ship will enhance China's manned deep-sea diving capabilities across all sea areas and improve deep-sea archaeological exploration.
Reference(s):
Deep-sea scientific research and archaeological ship docks in S China
cgtn.com
