VESSEL REVIEW | Anna Weber-van Bosse – Versatile research vessel for Dutch ocean science institute

The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (Nederlands Instituut voor Zeeonderzoek; NIOZ) has taken delivery of its newest research vessel following a formal hand-over from Spain's Armon Shipyard.

Anna Weber-van Bosse was built to a design by Netherlands-based C-Job Naval Architects. She was designed as a larger and more capable platform to replace Pelagia, a research vessel that has been in service with the NIOZ for 35 years.

The newer vessel's greater capability will enable the NIOZ to sail on expeditions accessing more distant waters, as the institute had previously relied on foreign-owned vessels for such expeditions.

Multi-disciplinary research platform ideal for offshore waters

The vessel will be used to support research in a broad range of fields including biology (habitat mapping and water column observations), geology (bathymetry plus sediment transport and distribution), physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, and even maritime archaeology (seabed mapping and 3D surveys of shipwrecks). She can even be used for positioning of underwater data-gathering equipment.

Named for a Dutch phycologist best known for her work in connection with algae, Anna Weber-van Bosse has an LOA of 80 metres (262 feet), a beam of 17 metres (56 feet), a summer draught of five metres (16 feet), a gross tonnage of 3,481, and accommodation for 16 crewmembers and 30 scientists.

The vessel is fitted with a DP2 system while her hull has a wave-piercing bow and has been strengthened to ice class 1C standard, which indicates safe navigation even at the edges of ice fields.

The vessel boasts a selection of laboratories including wet and dry labs; a CTD hangar; a hangar for remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles; a large working deck that can also accommodate unmanned aerial vehicles; an A-frame; and a drop keel and gondola that can house larger sensors, including those that the NIOZ said are still under development.

The vessel’s electronics include single- and multi-beam echosounders and underwater positioning sensors from Kongsberg Maritime and acoustic Doppler current profilers from Nortek. The electronics were selected to provide significantly enhanced capability and greater reliability compared to what was available on the older Pelagia.

Able to accommodate additional laboratory spaces and equipment

Some of the sensors, particularly the echosounders and those items on the gondola, were deliberately kept above the keel to make the hull more streamlined for greater efficiency and to minimise the risk of damage when operating in shallow waters.

The hold and the deck can accommodate an additional 17 laboratories housed in ISO containers should the vessel require more space for scientific equipment. A classroom is equipped with cameras to enable embarked scientists to deliver lectures to students on shore in real-time.

Low-noise propulsion ensuring reduced environmental impact

The propulsion system includes two generators supplied by ABC. The generators are EU Stage V-compliant, configured to produce only minimal noise so as not to disturb marine life, and can be configured in the future to permit operation on methanol. Additional methanol fuel tanks have already been incorporated in the vessel.

To further reduce the vessel’s environmental impact, specialised paint was used for the hull while a waste heat recovery system has been fitted on board.

The other onboard facilities include a galley, a mess, a lounge, a conference room, and dry and cold food storage areas.