Plans for new European research icebreaker
The technical design of „Aurora Borealis“ - icebreaker, deep-sea drilling vessel and multi-purpose research ship for the Polar Seas, has been presented.
On December 3, Finnish engines manufacturer Wärtsilä and The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research presented the technical design of the European research vessel «Aurora Borealis», a multi-purpose icebreaker, deep-sea drilling, and research ship for polar sea conditions.
«Aurora Borealis» will be a unique vessel – a combination of a heavy icebreaker, a scientific drilling ship, and a multi-purpose research platform that can operate year-round in all polar waters. When completed, she will be the world’s most sophisticated research vessel.
Because of European interest in, and proximity to the Arctic environment, the «Aurora Borealis» project was included in the priority list of the European Commission’s “European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures” (ESFRI) within the 7th Framework Programme as one of only seven projects in the “Environmental Sciences” section. Following up on this process, 15 institutions and agencies from ten European nations, including Norway and the Russian Federation, founded the “European Research Icebreaker Consortium” (ERICON). The European Commission has funded the preparatory phase with EUR 4.5 million.
The anticipated construction costs as of 2008 are around EUR 650 million. Subject to sufficient financial support, the preparations for the construction of the vessel should be completed by 2011, and construction could start as early as 2012. This would enable the first scientific operations to be undertaken in 2014 or thereabouts.
Another unique characteristic of «Aurora Borealis» design are the two seven by seven meters moon pools. These are continuous vertical funnels in the midst of the hull going into the water below the vessel, enabling scientists to deploy their equipment into the ocean without being subject to wind, waves and ice.
