China: Wuchang Shipbuilding Holds Launching Ceremony for Research Vessel Kexue

China’s brand new scientific research vessel “Kexue” (Science) was launched in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province on Nov. 30, 2011. The vessel, 99.6 m long and 17.8 wide, is equipped with a podded electric propulsion system.

The ship also features world-class facilities for water body detection, atmospheric exploration, deep-sea environment exploration and remote sensing information research. The cruising capacity of the ship reaches 15,000 nautical miles at speeds up to 15 knots.

Construction of the vessel started last year after approval by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2007. With a total cost of 550 million yuan (86.4 million U.S. dollars), the vessel is expected to be put into use by June 2012.

The ship was built by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Company Ltd., which is based in Hubei provincial capital Wuhan, and will be operated by the Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences upon delivery.

Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd was founded in 1934 and is one of the key enterprises under China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. (CSIC). There are more than 8300 employees in the company, among them more than 2000 are engineers and management personnel. At the same time, the shipyard owns a backbone team of experienced, skilled and well-trained workers.

[mappress]

Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, December 8, 2011; Image: csic