Keel-laying ceremony in Vigo
Hull construction element for the new British research vessel
A replacement for the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) 50-year old Royal Research Ship, also named "Discovery", the new vessel will be operated by NERC’s National Marine Facilities Sea Systems, based at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.
RRS "Discovery" will as per NERC provide a superbly equipped platform that will allow researchers to address some of the world's most pressing environmental issues, investigating the oceans’ role in climate change, mapping underwater landslides and earthquakes and exploring unique and undiscovered ecosystems across the planet.
The new research ship has been developed by Skipsteknisk AS. Skipstenisk AS also designed "Discovery’s" sister ship, the RRS "James Cook". With a length of 99.7 m and a breath of 18 m the vessel can take 52 persons on board consisting of 24 crew and 28 scientists.
The delivery is scheduled for 2014.
