UK to boost polar research with new £200m ship
A new state-of-the-art polar research ship enabling UK polar scientists to remain at the forefront of environmental research in both the Arctic and Antarctic is to be commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
It is scheduled to begin operations by 2019 in areas known to affect changing climate and sea level conditions.
Chancellor George Osborne announced last month (May) that the government would be providing over £200m of capital investment for the new flagship as part of its £1.1bn annual capital budget for science and research over the next five years. NERC says the vessel will provide a ‘cutting edge’ research facility with a greater ice-strengthened capability and longer endurance than its present polar research craft which are nearing the end of their operational life.
The as-yet unnamed vessel will be equipped to support oceanographic, marine ecosystem, geophysical and other research activities necessary for a detailed understanding of changing polar environments. It will be operated by NERC’s British Antarctic Survey for the benefit of the whole UK polar science community, including post-graduate training, and will make full use of the latest technologies in marine robotic and remotely-operated instrumentation.
Planned to accommodate up to 60 researchers and support staff, the 129.6m ship will have around 80 days’ endurance and a coverage capability of 24,000 nautical miles. Its likely builders have yet to be announced.
By David Goodfellow
