VESSEL REVIEW | Xiangyanghong 17 – Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources places buoy transport ship into service
The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) recently took delivery of a new research vessel built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding.
Designed by the China Shipbuilding Group’s 701 Research Institute, Xiangyanghong 17 (向阳红17) will be used for marine survey and buoy deployment and recovery duties. The vessel is designed to transport and monitor offshore buoys that collect and process data on various marine environmental parameters such as wind speed, temperature, air pressure, and wave measurements.
Ice-reinforced construction guaranteeing safe operation in harsh environments
The newbuild has a steel hull, an LOA of 89.3 metres (293 feet), a beam of 18 metres (59 feet), a depth of 7.2 metres (24 feet), and a design displacement of 3,950 tonnes.
Space is available for the installation of equipment essential for undertaking a range of marine survey tasks. These equipment include a shallow bottom profiler, a knuckle boom crane, a stern A-frame, unmanned vehicles, an anti-sway device that can lift 10-metre-long buoys, and a multi-beam echosounder.
The low-temperature steel hull is strengthened according to China Classification Society’s ice class B2 requirements while the electric propulsion setup includes two azimuthing thrusters and a side thruster. These allow the vessel to sail for up to 10,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 16 knots.
The vessel can stay out at sea for a maximum of 60 days, allowing its embarked scientific staff to carry out as many research-related activities as possible on each trip.
A DP2 system is also fitted to ensure accurate positioning for surveys and buoy operations in offshore waters.
One part of a larger scientific monitoring fleet
Xiangyanghong 17 will be operated by the MNR bureau based in the city of Beihai in the Guangxi southwestern autonomous region.
The vessel will operate as part of a larger scientific expedition fleet that also includes other Chinese-operated ships. Together, these vessels will support the construction, operation, and maintenance of a comprehensive marine observation network to permit early warning of potentially damaging weather disturbances such as tsunamis.
