Recently, China’s first deep-sea multi-functional scientific investigation and cultural relic archaeological ship “Exploration III” successfully completed its sea trial, taking another big step towards the milestone of naming and delivery at the beginning of next year.
“Exploration III” was independently developed and designed by China, built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd (GSI), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC). and provided with the new generation of high-efficiency retractable fin stabilizers independently developed by the 704th Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. And CSSC 704 Research Institute provided the ship with its independently developed new generation of high-efficiency retractable fin stabilizer.
“Exploration III is China’s first comprehensive scientific research ship that covers the world’s deep sea (including polar regions) exploration and has the ability to support manned deep diving in ice areas. The ship is about 104 meters long, with a displacement of about 10,000 tons, a maximum speed of 16 knots, bidirectional icebreaking at the bow and stern, a cruising range of 15,000 nautical miles, and a crew of 80 people. It can conduct deep-sea scientific investigations and cultural relics archaeology, as well as scientific investigations in polar waters in summer. It will expand China’s manned deep-sea diving capabilities from full sea depths to all sea areas, and enhance China’s deep-sea archaeological operations.
As a professional equipment manufacturer in the field of ship roll stabilization system in China, CSSC 704 Research Institute has customized a pair of new-generation high-efficiency retractable fin stabilizers for the ship. The area of a single fin reaches 9 square meters. Under the designed draft and service speed conditions, the fin stabilizer can achieve a roll stabilization effect of more than 85%.
During the trial voyage of the “Exploration III”, waves exceeding 4 meters high were encountered. With the fin stabilizers working, the ship sailed smoothly at full speed, and the ship’s wave resistance and equipment anti-roll performance were fully verified.
In recent years, the fin stabilizers developed by the CSSC 704 Research Institute’s affiliated enterprises has continued to grow, and has been thriving in both the international and domestic application markets, with a good reputation. At present, its fin stabilizers have also been included in the “Directory of Strong Chain Brand Products in the Shipbuilding Industry (2024)”, becoming one of the iconic enterprises of domestic high-end ship equipment.
So far, CSSC 704 Research Institute’s fin stabilizers have been successfully applied to more than ten luxury passenger and PCTCs, such as the Italian “Fantasy”, “Legacy” and the Finnish “Finncanopus” and “Finnsirius” and etc.
China’s domestically produced fin stabilizers were successfully applied on China’s first deep-sea multi-functional scientific investigation and cultural relic archaeological ship