Intermarine UK wins RRS Sir David Attenborough polar ship contract from Cammell Laird
South West-based maritime engineering company Intermarine UK has landed a contract from Cammell Laird shipyard on Merseyside to supply the £160million RRS Sir David Attenborough polar ship, the company said in its press release.
Intermarine UK won the deal worth several hundred thousand pounds from Cammell Laird to fabricate more than ten tons of piping systems and provide combining equipment to Britain’s biggest commercial ship building project in more than 30 years.
The 128 metres long ship has been commissioned by Natural Environment Research Council NERC and will be operated by British Antarctic Survey. The ship was formerly launched at Cammell Laird by Sir David Attenborough in July and is due to begin science expeditions in 2019.
Inter Marine Group President Slawomir Kalicki said the fabrication work took place at the company’s new 2000sqm fabrication and welding facility at Portland Port in Dorset, UK which opened in January creating up to 60 new jobs for local people in the next two years.
Mr Kalicki said Intermarine UK signed a 20-year lease in January to move its UK head office from Bridgend to Portland Port, a former naval base and the second largest man-made harbour in the world. The company will start operations from February in Portland with the Sir David Attenborough being its inaugural contract.
Mr Kalicki said Intermarine UK has bought a variety of new equipment for the facility including CNC machines, laser cutters and steel production machinery.
The RRS Sir David Attenborough will be one of the most advanced polar research vessels in the world. From 2019 onwards scientists researching oceans, ice and atmosphere will have access to state-of-the-art facilities on this floating multidisciplinary research platform.
The new polar ship is commissioned by NERC, built by Cammell Laird and operated by British Antarctic Survey. This new research platform will transform how ship-borne science is conducted in the Polar Regions. The commissioning of the RRS Sir David Attenborough is part of a major Government polar infrastructure investment programme designed to keep Britain at the forefront of world-leading research in Antarctica and the Arctic. This £200m commitment represents the UK Government‘s largest investment in polar science since the 1980s.
Technical features
Length: 128; beam: 24m; weight: 15,000gt
Scientific cargo volume of approximately 900m³
Endurance – up to 60 days (Polar Regions)
Range 19,000nm at 13 knots (24 km/h) cruising speed; more than enough for a return trip from England to Rothera Research Station, or to circle the entire Antarctic continent twice!
Ice breaking capability – up to 1m thick at 3 knots (5.6 km/h)
Bow and stern thrusters for excellent dynamic positioning in challenging conditions
Launch and recovery of aerial and ocean robotic systems
Crew approx. 30
Accommodation for up to 60 scientists and support staff
With greater fuel efficiency and an ability to use remotely operated and robotic technologies, the ship is expected to reduce the environmental impact of ship-borne science and save more than £100m in operating costs over its 25-year lifespan.
Portland is a thriving commercial port located in Dorset on the UK's south coast. Portland Port operated as a base for the Royal Navy for nearly 150 years from the mid 19th century through to 1996 when Portland Port was then privatised and taken over by the Langham Group. Portland Harbour Authority later took over as the statutory harbour authority in 1998. Since then the harbour has developed into a thriving commercial port, that handles cruise ships, cargos, bunker vessels and also maintains a strong relationship with the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The port's close proximity to the English Channel shipping lanes provides an ideal location for vessels both in terms of distance and travel time.