Polar research ship contract for Cammell Laird

The historic shipyard beat competition from Europe and around the world to build the new state-of-the-art vessel for the government funded Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

Duncan Wingham, chief executive of NERC, said: “This new research ship will be equipped with on-board laboratory facilities and will be capable of deploying robotic technologies to monitor environmental changes to the polar oceans.”

“Changes in both the Antarctic and Arctic marine ecosystems affect the UK’s environment and economy, particularly in industries such as fishing and tourism. NERC funds polar research so that as a nation, we can develop policies to adapt to, mitigate or live with environmental change,” he added.

The £200m ship will help UK scientists continue to understand the polar regions, the contract was signed on 19 November and work is expected to be fully underway in June 2016.

It will operate in both Antarctica and the Arctic and is said to be able to endure up to 60 days in sea-ice, this will enable scientists to gather more observations and data.

The agreement is said to secure around 400 jobs at Cammell Laird and a further 100 jobs within the local Birkenhead region.

“The new vessel will be yard hull number 1390 and with its combined science and logistics capability will be one of the most technologically advanced commercial ships ever constructed in the UK,” said Linton Roberts, managing director of Cammell Laird.

He continued: “Our numerous and highly complex service life extension projects for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have also given us invaluable experience in integrating and commissioning a wide variety of relevant new technologies.”

The new polar research ship is expected to become operational in 2019.

By Alice Mason