Cammell Laird to launch polar research vessel

Cammell Laird plans to launch a polar research ship, currently under construction for the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council, on July 14.

The 129-metre-long, 10,000-tonne hull of the Sir David Attenborough will be launched into the River Mersey.

The polar research ship is scheduled to begin use in 2019 and will be operated by the British Antarctic Survey.

The new research ship is part of a government polar infrastructure investment of £200m (US$264 million), which aims to keep Britain at the forefront of research in Antarctica and the Arctic.