The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Friday that a keel-laying ceremony for the new vessel was being held at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard in South Gyeongsang Province, with around 40 officials from the ministry, Korea Polar Research Institute, Korean Register and Hanwha Ocean attending.
The new icebreaker is scheduled for completion in 2029 and is expected to officially begin Arctic research operations in 2030.
The ship will become South Korea’s second icebreaking research vessel after the Araon, which entered service in 2009. The government has said relying on the Araon alone has limited available research time because of lengthy voyages and its restricted ability to reach Arctic waters above 80 degrees north latitude.
The ministry and Hanwha Ocean signed a construction contract in July last year and have since carried out design work and equipment procurement.
The new vessel will have about 50 percent greater icebreaking capability than the Araon, allowing it to break through ice up to 1.5 meters thick while traveling at 3 knots, compared with the Araon’s 1-meter capability at the same speed. It will also be designed to operate in temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees Celsius, 10 degrees colder than the Araon’s rating.
The icebreaker will conduct research on sea ice conditions needed for safe navigation along Arctic shipping routes, as well as Arctic fishery resources and seabed geology. It will use a dual-fuel system capable of running on liquefied natural gas and marine gas oil to reduce carbon emissions, while detachable modular research facilities are expected to make more efficient use of onboard research space.
At roughly 16,560 gross tons, the new vessel will be more than twice the size of the 7,507-ton Araon. It will measure 140.8 meters long and 25 meters wide and accommodate up to 100 people, including 34 crew members and 66 researchers. It will have a cruising speed of 13 knots and be capable of operating for at least 75 days without resupply.
Once the vessel enters service, it will focus primarily on Arctic research, while the Araon will shift its focus toward Antarctica. The ministry expects the combined number of annual research voyage days in the Arctic and Antarctic to increase from about 85 days to around 270 days, more than tripling current capacity.
“The construction of the next-generation icebreaking research vessel is an important first step toward accumulating scientific research data in preparation for the coming era of Arctic shipping routes and becoming a leading country in polar research,” Seo Jeong-ho, head of the ministry’s Ocean Policy Office, said.
“We will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that the construction project proceeds without disruption,” he said.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea has begun construction of a new Arctic research icebreaker, with completion targeted for 2029 and operations from 2030.
- The vessel will have 50% stronger icebreaking capability than the Araon and operate in ice up to 1.5 meters thick.
- The new icebreaker will expand South Korea’s Arctic research on shipping routes, sea ice, fisheries and seabed geology.
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