Maintenance completes on polar research ship

Twenty experts from Babcock began work on the RRS Sir David Attenborough in early June upgrading the vessel’s gas detection system, helideck netting, draft sensor vent pipework as well as helping with planned maintenance, defect rectification and general logistics support.

“The UK’s fleet of scientific research ships carries out invaluable work at both polar regions to allow us to further understand changes in our climate,” said Sean Donaldson, managing director, Babcock’s Rosyth facility.

“To operate effectively in those regions, it is essential that each vessel is perfectly maintained.”

The RSS Sir David Attenborough is the second royal research Ship to visit Rosyth under the newly agreed Natural Environment Research Council contract, part of Babcock’s £45 million contract to maintain the UK’s fleet of scientific research ships.

Previously, the RRS Discovery left Rosyth following her own successful maintenance package. The RRS Sir David Attenborough is scheduled to return later in the year for larger works.

The £200m ship made its first voyage to Antarctica in November 2021, after visiting Greenwich, London ahead of the COP26 climate conference. Over the summer, scientists will be on board conducting further trials before heading back to Antarctica later this year.

The RSS Sir David Attenborough deploys a robotic submersible famously named Boaty McBoatface following a public poll.