Chinese yard starts construction of deep-ocean research vessel

China's Zhejiang Tenglong Shipbuilding began construction of a new deep-ocean research vessel on Monday, March 17.

The vessel will have an LOA of 82 metres, a beam of 15.2 metres, a depth of 6.8 metres, a design draught of four metres, a displacement of 3,500 tonnes at full load, and a maximum endurance of 60 days.

Notable features will include an inverted wave-piercing bow, a square stern, and a spacious open aft deck that can accommodate an array of multi-disciplinary research equipment as well as a crane and an A-frame.

The vessel will be used for a range of duties such as marine resources exploration, seabed topography mapping, geochemical and physical research, marine biological collection, and research in support of the offshore energy sector.

The vessel will be built for cost of CNY130 million (US$18 million). Once in service, it will be one of the first privately-owned deep-sea research vessels in operation in China.