UK orders new scientific research ship

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) awarded the newbuilding contract to the Vigo-based Spanish shipyard Freire at a total cost of $114.3 million. The ship’s design will allow it to work in higher sea-states, complementing the work of NERC’s other research vessel, the James Cook.

“This new research ship will provide a state-of-the-art platform for researchers to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues,” chief executive of the NERC said. “It will enable them to make measurements of the oceans leading to vital evidence regarding climate change, marine ecosystems and underwater earthquakes and landslides, which will, in turn, deliver significant economic and societal benefits.”

The new vessel will take over the name Discovery and will be operated by NERC’s National Marine Facilities Division, based at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. The design of the new vessel has been developed by the Norwegian naval architect company Skipsteknisk which also designed the James Cook.

Last year Freire was awarded the construction of an oceanographic vessel for the Qatar University for delivery in April 2011.