The Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, a research institute based in Germany, has confirmed that the keel of a future research vessel set to join its fleet has been laid at a shipyard in Klaipeda, Lithuania.
The vessel will be named Walther Herwig in honour of a German lawyer and fisheries research pioneer. Upon completion of the hull in Klaipeda, it will be transported to the facilities of German shipyard Fassmer for completion.
The vessel will be the fourth to bear the name Walther Herwig. It will replace the current Walther Herwig III, which was commissioned in 1993 and regularly operates in the North and Baltic Seas, the waters off Greenland, and off West Africa.
Upon completion, the fourth Walther Herwig will boast 10 laboratories, work cranes, equipment for both demersal and pelagic trawling, selective catalytic reduction systems, and a methanol-ready propulsion system. The spacious open deck will be allotted for the transport of additional scientific equipment and ISO containers.
The Thünen Institute will use the vessel primarily for monitoring fish stocks and fish health and for investigating marine ecosystems on behalf of the German federal government.
Walther Herwig is scheduled for delivery in 2027. Its area of operations will include the North Atlantic Ocean.