V.Ships Leisure, part of V.Group, has been appointed by REV Ocean to provide ship management services for the world’s largest research and expedition vessel, scheduled for completion in 2021.
The vessel will be equipped for conducting research that covers the entire marine ecosystem, using advanced technology systems developed by knowledge clusters in Norway.
It will be used by scientists for innovative research expeditions which explore issues such as the impact that CO2 emissions have on the oceans, plastic pollution, protection of endangered species and sustainable fishing.
The vessel will be constructed to run on diesel electric engines, with an additional 3MW lithium-ion battery pack for peak shaving and ensuring optimum efficiency.
Following its first sea launch in Tulcea, Romania on 23 August, the vessel is now on its way to the Brattvåg shipyard on the west coast of Norway for more construction work.
Per Bjornsen , V.Ships Leisure director, said: “While the maritime industry endeavours to reduce carbon emissions across its global fleet, it’s also imperative that we continue look at the whole picture, both inside and outside of our industry, if we are to build towards a better and more sustainable future. With this in mind, we have made it our goal at V.Group to go beyond helping our customers to meet regulation, to leading the fight for cleaner shipping. This exciting new partnership with REV Ocean will allow us to leverage V.Group’s unique range of expertise and experience, and our powerful digital ship management platform ShipSure, to contribute to vital scientific research and maximise positive impact, on a vessel that demonstrates the cutting edge in green ship technology.”
An independent scientific committee will evaluate and recommend research projects for REV Ocean to pursue, and ensure the highest level of scientific standards and research quality. The vessel has the capacity to take 60 scientists and 30 crew onboard, and features state-of-the-art echo sounders and sonars to study fish and other marine species, an advanced eco-harvesting system for live catch and release of biomass and pelagic samples, and multiple on-board laboratories.