VESSEL REVIEW | Tara Polar Station – Floating research facility built for long-term deployments to the Arctic

French research non-profit Tara Ocean Foundation has inaugurated a new floating polar research station for deployment in the Arctic Ocean.

Designed by the Tara Ocean Foundation in collaboration with French architect Olivier Petit and engineering firm Mauric, Tara Polar Station has a length of 26 metres (85 feet), a beam of 16 metres (52 feet), a draught of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet), a full load displacement of 416 tonnes, and accommodation for up to 18 people within a 400-square-metre (4,000-square-foot) living space.

Development of the research station was deemed a way of helping scientists conduct more comprehensive studies of the otherwise inhospitable Arctic. The station was therefore built to withstand extreme ice pressures as well as temperatures as low as –52 degrees Celsius, thanks to a reinforced, ice- and abrasion-resistant aluminium hull that satisfies Bureau Veritas' (BV) Ice Class 1A Super requirements.

Tara Ocean intends to have the research station embark scientists from all over the world on multiple successive expeditions lasting 14 months each from its initial deployment in 2025 until 2045. During each 14-month expedition, the station will drift with the Arctic ice pack to enable its occupants to collect crucial scientific data.

Designed for extended stays in the Arctic

A total of 10 consecutive missions are planned for the 20 years that the station will be operational. Each mission will be conducted by 20 people plus two dogs, and Tara Ocean expects that the station will spend 90 per cent of the time on deployments locked in pack ice.

The project team’s objectives in using the research station include analysing the consequences of melting sea ice and pollution on the Arctic region’s unique and fragile ecosystem; observing Arctic fish stocks and the impact of the arrival of more temperate species; and discovering new molecules, species and processes with new potential applications.

The crew will perform various samplings and measurements in line with research on the atmosphere, snow/ice, the ocean, and biodiversity.

“Tara Polar Station was developed from a preliminary design conceived by Olivier Petit,” Mauric told Baird Maritime. “At the request of the Tara Foundation, Mauric worked on the entire concept to improve the station's performance and capabilities, as well as to integrate new regulatory frameworks such as the Bureau Veritas ice markings for the structure.”

Mauric said this led to the unique concept based on an oblong-shaped form that combined Olivier Petit's experience in polar vessel design and Mauric's expertise in specialised vessels and scientific exploration. The shape of the hull limits the pressure exerted on it when the vessel becomes locked in ice.

Various research activities possible even in extreme ice environments

Mauric conducted all the naval architecture studies and detailed engineering for this platform, on behalf of shipbuilder Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie based in Cherbourg. Construction began in May 2023 and the station was inaugurated in Lorient on April 24, 2025.

“At the heart of Tara Polar Station, the laboratories have been designed to accommodate a wide range of scientific programs,” said Mauric. “Half of the main deck is dedicated to science, with five laboratories: a wet laboratory for handling samples (including ice cores), dry laboratories with instrumentation, and laboratories dedicated to in situ experimentation.”

The station features a moonpool with a diameter of 1.6 metres (5.2 feet). The moonpool is connected to a wet laboratory allowing direct access to the sea beneath the ice to enable the deployment of divers and scientific equipment year-round.

The station was also designed to limit all discharges and reduce environmental impact.

Greater operating autonomy coupled with reduced environmental impact

“Working in one of the most preserved places on Earth requires zero pollution, which is why the vessel is equipped with solar panels, a wind turbine, and biodiesel powered generators,” said Mauric.

“These systems are associated with a heat recovery network for heating and hot water production, and fluid treatment systems to ensure no discharges into the marine environment throughout her mission duration. A lithium battery pack also enables the storage of energy from decarbonised electrical production sources.”

The vessel's design maximises accommodation and carrying capacities thanks to advanced space optimisation and the fact that the entire vessel is organised around a central well. According to Mauric Project Manager Paul Regnacq, the interior space is very restricted, and arranging all elements around the central well was comparable to solving a three-dimensional puzzle where every centimetre counts.

“The vessel [will be] beached on ice, with limited access to seawater, and potential icing of all external components or those opening to the outside,” said Mauric. “Numerous studies have been conducted by Mauric's technical teams to ensure the proper functioning and redundancy of the station's systems in all conditions encountered during polar winters.”

The station nonetheless boasts a propulsion system consisting of an HVO engine driving a ducted fixed-pitch propeller protected by an ice screen. The system, which delivers limited propulsive power, complies with BV ice class requirements.

The station also has a rescue boat that can be launched and recovered using a dedicated davit that complies with LSA Code requirements and that has been reviewed and approved by BV, according to Mauric. The vessel is also equipped with a polar jet fuel tank allowing for helicopter refueling for crew evacuation in case of serious incident.

“Tara Polar Station operates autonomously far from any inhabited areas,” the designer told Baird Maritime. “Her resilience to extreme conditions and any damage that may occur in icy zones has therefore been studied with particular care.

“Despite her reduced size for a polar vessel, flag authority regulations and classification society requirements have been applied without compromise.”