China's second icebreaker scheduled for use in 2014

[Sasquatch]

China's second icebreaker is scheduled to be put into use in 2014 to better conduct polar researches alongside the current icebreaker Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon", an oceanic official said Sunday.

Concept design of the new icebreaker has been completed and the program is going smoothly, said Weng Lixin, deputy director of the polar research office at the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

The icebreaker is capable of breaking ice up to 1.5 meters thick, in comparison with the 1.2-meter icebreaking capacity of Xuelong, an A-2 class icebreaker, according to Weng.

With a tonnage of 8,000, the new vessel will have a cruising capacity of 20,000 nautical miles, and can work in water for up to 60 days with a top speed of 15 knots, Weng said.

Outfitted with an onboard helicopter, the icebreaker will serve as a moving scientific platform where various oceanic researches will be conducted, according to Weng.

It will also undertake the task of delivering supplies to some Antarctic stations, Weng added.

 

[cirr]

China's new icebreaker project pushes forward

Updated: 2012-07-31 18:53(Xinhua)

BEIJING - China's first government-backed icebreaker project for polar expeditions officially entered the implementation phase when a basic design contract was signed Tuesday.

The contract was signed by the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CAA) under the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), the Polar Research Institute of China and the Finland-based Aker Arctic Technology Inc., which will participate in the design of the icebreaker.

The new 8,000-tonne vessel, China's second after the Ukraine-built Xuelong, will have an endurance of 20,000 nautical miles and be capable of breaking ice with a thickness of 1.5 meters, sources with the SOA said.

Moreover, it will be designed to accommodate 90 people and two helicopters, with an overall length of 120 meters, maximum breadth of 22 meters and draught of 8.5 meters.

"With a 580-square-meter lab and a 700-square-meter deck, the ship will provide enough space for scientific research in various fields," said Qu Tanzhou, director of the CAA.

According to the SOA, the new vessel, which will be built in China, is expected to greatly boost the country's expedition capacities in polar and oceanic regions.

Due for operation in 2014, the new icebreaker will join the Xuelong in polar expeditions.