Page 31: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2013)

www.marinelink.com 31RV for JAMSTEC Conceptual drawing of wide-area seabed research vessel to be built in Japan. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) received an order for construction of a wide-area seabed research vessel from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). The vessel will be designed to advance wide-area research into seaß oor resources, its comprehensive research capabilities to include elucidation of mineral and ore deposit origins and formation conditions, and will also enable con-tributions to disaster prevention research. Construction will start at MHI?s Shimono- seki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture this year, with completion scheduled for March 2016. The ship will measure 100 x 19 m with gross tonnage near 5,500 tons. To ef Þ ciently conduct survey research of ocean ß oor resources, it will be capable of operating such state-of-the-art equipment as a seismic research system for investigating crustal structure, large piston corers and a sea ß oor-mounted excavator for collecting seabed samples, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Sea speed will be approximately 12 knots, with a crew capacity of 65. The vessel on order will also be out Þ tted with a marine research labora- tory enabling swift analysis of collected samples without any time-lag deterioration.PaciÞ c Radiance: Ulstein PSV Design PaciÞ c Radiance Group of Singapore ? which currently manages more than 120 ves- sels ? ordered a pair of platform supply vessels (PSV) from the Ulstein PX121 design for construction at a Chinese yard, estimated for delivery in Q2 and Q3 2015, repec-tively, with an option for two vessels. ?We found that the PX121 design suits our targeted markets in the best possible way,? said James Pang in Paci Þ c Radiance. ?Our team is striving towards operating cleaner and more fuel efÞ cient vessels that meets and exceeds all the latest regulatory requirements. In addition, the crews? and special charterer?s personnel comfort and op- erability of a vessel in rough weather conditions and strong currents are of increasing importance to our clients. This design meets most of our clients? operational expecta- tions in terms of e.g. deck space, capacities, speed, position holding capabilities and fuel efÞ ciency. We believe this is achieved by the unique hull design and longer lines that allow for better transit speed and efÞ ciency, saving time and cost.? www.ulstein.com Illustration courtesy: Ulstein Group MR #10 (26-33).indd 31MR #10 (26-33).indd 3110/2/2013 4:12:32 PM10/2/2013 4:12:32 PM