On Thursday, a Chinese shipbuilding firm delivered the nation’s first comprehensive scientific research vessel designed for deep-sea exploration around the globe, including the polar regions, with manned deep-diving capabilities.
The Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., Ltd. of China State Shipping Corporation handed over the vessel, Tan Suo San Hao, or Exploration No. 3, in Guangzhou City, the capital of south China’s Guangdong Province.
The 104-meter-long, self-developed vessel has a displacement of around 10,000 tonnes, an endurance of 15,000 nautical miles, and can accommodate a crew of 80. It is equipped with two-direction ice-breaking capabilities at both the bow and stern, allowing it to navigate through icy waters in polar regions.
The vessel will enable China’s manned deep-diving capability to reach the entire ocean area around the globe, significantly enhancing the nation’s deep-sea archaeological and scientific research operations.
The ship project was jointly funded by the Hainan provincial government, a company in Sanya City, south China’s Hainan Province, and the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since its approval in December 2022, more than 100 institutions collaborated on the development and construction of the ship, overcoming technological bottlenecks in key areas such as ice-zone ship design and intelligent ship control technology.
The delivery of Exploration No. 3 marks a significant milestone in China’s efforts to advance its capabilities in deep-sea exploration and research. The vessel is expected to play a crucial role in scientific expeditions, resource surveys, and international collaborations in marine science.
Reference(s):
China delivers self-developed deep-sea scientific research vessel
cgtn.com
