RRS Discovery Replacement
A contract to build a replacement for the current RRS Discovery was awarded by NERC to the Spanish shipyard C.N.P. Freire, S.A on 29th March 2010. The total project cost of bringing the new vessel into service is £75 million and is being provided by a combination of funding from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills’ Large Facilities Capital Fund and NERC. Coming at a time when there is huge pressure on public funds, this investment signals the significance that is attached to the UK marine science community’s need for continuing access to state-of-the-art ships, enabling them to gather vital measurements regarding some of the world's most pressing environmental issues including climate change, marine ecosystems and underwater earthquakes and landslides.
Although the current RRS Discovery remains a highly capable vessel, having been extensively modernized in 1992, is nevertheless lacking in many modern facilities required by the UK marine science community such as multibeam echosounder systems and other facilities (including dynamic positioning) for the operation of ROVs. Under the RRS Discovery Replacement Project, NERC has undertaken extensive consultation with the user community, as well implementing the lessons learned from the building of the RRS James Cook. This approach will result in the new Discovery being one of the most capable multi-disciplinary research vessels afloat in the world. The keel was laid on 15th February 2011 and the project is currently on schedule and cost. With a planned delivery date in June 2013.
Designed by Skipsteknisk AS, a leader in the design of sophisticated and noise reduced research vessels who also designed RRS James Cook, the new ship will operate worldwide, with more modern facilities and in higher sea-states, than the current RRS Discovery. However, by taking over the name ‘Discovery’, it will ensure the long heritage of marine scientific research established by its four predecessors, going back to Captain Scott’s expedition ship (1901-4), takes modern marine scientists forward to face modern global challenges.
Specifications
Capabilities
- Single & multibeam echosounder surveys
- Integrated data logging
- Seismic surveys
- Clean seawater sampling
- Remotely Operated Vehicle operations
- CTD surveys
- Deepwater coring, trawling, and towing
General Particulars
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RRS Discovery |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Call sign |
2FGX5 |
Overall length |
99.7m |
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IMO number |
9588028 |
Beam |
18m |
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Total Capacity: |
52 |
Maximum draft |
6.5m |
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Marine crew |
24 |
Maximum displacement |
6075 Tonnes (TBC) |
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Scientists and technicians |
28 |
Gross tonnage |
5941 Tonnes |
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Average operating speed |
12 knots |
Net tonnage |
1782 Tonnes |
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Endurance extreme |
50 days |
Displacement |
4219m3 (TBC) |
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Endurance operational |
50 days |
Completed |
Due June 2013 |
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Working areas |
All oceans, including ice-edge |
Classification |
Lloyd’s +100A1, Ice 1D, LMC, UMS, DP(AM), IWS, EP, Research Vessel |
Scientific Facilities
Handling Systems
The RRS Discovery will be fitted with a range of handling systems, allowing operations to be conducted from both the starboard side of the ship and the stern. Provision of 2 separate systems on the starboard side will enable both to be rigged with a working cable simultaneously, which will facilitate swapping of differing operations between the 2 seamlessly.
The RRS Discovery is also being fitted with a comprehensive suite of winches …(link to gantries and winches page) similar to those on the RRS James Cook.
Laboratories
A range of laboratory spaces (link to lab page) that can be flexibly configured to support a range of differing scientific activities on each cruise are being fitted with.
Permanently Fitted Sensors/Instrumentation
The RRS Discovery is being configured with a suite of state-of-the-art sensors, as well as a modern computerized data logging (link) and distribution system.
Hydroacoustic Suite
The hydroacoustic suite (link) is one of the most important components of the RRS Discovery’s fitted sensor fit. These sensors are mounted in 2 main areas: the large bottom mapping multibeam echosounder transducer is fitted in a novel design bottom ‘blister’, while a range of other acoustic instruments are fitted in 2 drop keels (link).
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System |
Use |
|---|---|---|
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Forward Blister |
EM122 1° x 1° 12kHz multibeam echosounder |
Seabed mapping up to full ocean depth |
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SBP120 3° x 3° sub-bottom profiler |
Imaging the structure below the seabed |
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EM710 2° x 2° 70-100kHz multibeam echosounder |
Seabed mapping in depths up to:
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75kHz ADCP |
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150kHz ADCP |
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Hydrophone |
Monitoring acoustic background and system performance |
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Port Drop Keel |
EA600 12kHz singlebeam echosounder |
Depth measurement |
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10kHz singlebeam echosounder |
Depth measurement or equipment communication |
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CCTV underwater camera |
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Starboard Drop Keel |
EK60 Bioacoustics echosounder with following frequencies: 18kHz, 38kHz 70kHz, 120kHz, 200kHz, 333kHz |
Fishery research - biomass estimation |
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Scanmar S-1004/s-1007 hydrophone |
Trawl net monitoring system |
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Hydrophone |
Background/flow noise monitoring and system performance |
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Spar (pole) |
Ultra Short Base line (USBL) |
Underwater acoustic positioning |
Bridge Equipment
RRS Discovery will be one of the most sophisticated research ships afloat and is being designed with a full suite of modern navigation and communications systems, including a dynamic positioning system. Read more about Bridge equipment →
Propulsion
The ship will be configured with a novel azimuth thruster propulsion system compared to a conventional fixed shafts/propellers and rudders. The thruster can be independently rotated through 360° which will make the vessel extremely manoeuvrable. This configuration has also been selected with fuel efficiency in mind, while the ship is also some 10 metres longer (and slightly narrower) than the RRS James Cook, which also contributes to fuel efficiency.
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Function |
Specifications |
|---|---|
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Diesel generators |
4 x Wartsila 8L20 (1,770kW / 1000 rpm each – total 5,760kW) |
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Main propulsion motors |
2 x Wartsila DC (2,200kW 3x690v, 50Hz) |
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Alternators |
4 x Wartsila LLC (Low Loss Concept) Transformers each 2500\1250kVA |
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Thrusters |
2 x Azimuth Thrusters with 5-bladed, fixed pitch, 3.6m diameter |
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One retractable azimuth forward (1,350kW) |
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One Tees Gill water-jet thruster (1,700 kW) |
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Diesel capacity |
596m³ |
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Fresh water capacity |
310m³ |
