VESSEL REVIEW | China Environmental Monitoring Wing 051 – Coastal patrol and monitoring vessel to be deployed off China's Hebei province
China's Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding recently delivered a new high-speed law enforcement vessel to the country's National Marine Environmental Monitoring Centre (NMEMC).
Built primarily for operation in coastal waters, China Environmental Monitoring Wing 051 (中国环监翼051; Zhongguo Huan Jianyi 051) has a steel hull, an LOA of 57 metres (190 feet), a beam of 10.3 metres (33.8 feet), a depth of 4.6 metres (15 feet), and a gross tonnage of 900.
The propulsion delivers an operational speed of 15 knots and a range of 1,500 nautical miles. Alternatively, the vessel can operate continuously for up to 20 days before it needs to return to port.
The vessel will be operated by the NMEMC from its Qinhuangdao Ecological Environment Monitoring Centre. Its dimensions make it one of the largest environmental monitoring vessels in operation in Hebei province.
Versatile platform with collection and analysis functions
As its name suggests, the vessel will be used primarily for maritime law enforcement and data gathering including real-time analysis of water quality data and monitoring of marine organisms and sediment, thanks to the incorporation of advanced collection and testing equipment.
The selection of onboard equipment and facilities includes multi-use winches, multidisciplinary laboratories that cover a total area of 106 square metres (1,140 square feet), a CTD thermohaline depth profiler, an A-frame, cranes, and a box-type sludge extractor.
Equipped for safety enforcement operations
Aiding the crew are communication and navigation equipment such as electronic charts and emergency radar position indicators.
The vessel may also be used for maritime safety patrols in the coastal waters off Qinhuangdao and nearby areas, particularly during the busy tourist season.
Design work on China Environmental Monitoring Wing 051 was undertaken by the 605 Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Group.
