German yard wins work on unique research ship

The 182.9m long and 22m wide REV (research and expedition vessel) Ocean is the brainchild of Norwegian businessman Kiell Inge Rokke, who established a foundation to build the ship. It will accommodate about 60 scientists and guests as well as 30 crew members and will serve mainly as a state-of-the-art floating research station designed to investigate and document the state of the world’s oceans.

Final technical and scientific outfitting of REV Ocean is currently underway at Norway’s Brattvåg Shipyard, part of the VARD Group. It was towed there following initial construction at the group’s Tulcea facility in Romania. After arrival in Bremerhaven next year LWB will support the owner’s team in tasks including the installation of interiors, filling, fairing and painting of the superstructure, deck laying and the assembly of outer ceilings.

Yard CEO Rüdiger Pallentin said “we welcome the trust placed in us to support the completion of this extraordinary vessel”.

REV Ocean CEO Nina Jensen added: “We know we will be in good hands with Lloyd Werft who will provide us with the highest quality of shipyard facilities and environmental standards. This will be the last stage of the building process and then REV Ocean will be operational, and ready to develop innovative solutions, for positive ocean change”.

Owner representative George Gill said “In Lloyd Werft, we have found the ideal partner to assist us with … facilities and support for the final outfitting stage”. Gill also singled out LWB’s “unique insight into research vessels” and mentioned the 118m German research ship veteran Polarstern which the yard has docked 70 times since 1982 and hopes to build its successor. Gill said experience like that was “of huge advantage to us”.

Among other features on REV Ocean, researchers will have access to a submersible with a diving depth of 2,300m which can be launched via a moonpool and a trawl system to catch sea creatures from depths down to 3,000m. REV Ocean will have an operational range of more than 21,000nm and be advanced and environmentally friendly.

Drawing 5.25m, the ship will be of 17,440gt. Propulsion consists of four Wärtsilä 8L26 2.7 main engines providing a top speed of 17.8kn.