On December 30th, a kick-off ceremony for the “Wenhai No. 3” new intelligent research vessel was held in the Academic Exchange Center of Laoshan Laboratory in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The project aims to build the comprehensive service capacity of ocean observation and detection equipment deployment and recovery, observation and detection system operation and maintenance, as well as the comprehensive service capacity of ocean equipment testing and verification.
“Wenhai No. 3” is the first domestic ship to serve and support the operation and maintenance of large-scale scientific projects. It is an unmanned intelligent equipment working mother ship. At the same time, it is also a multifunctional ship with three-dimensional observation and detection capabilities such as aerial remote sensing surface detection and underwater search. It is designed to have a full load displacement of 3,000 tons and is scheduled to be completed in October 2026 for delivery.
According to the public information, the vessel is constructed with an investment of about RMB 180 million by Qingdao Guoshi Intelligent Equipment Technology. The vessel mainly includes hull system, outfitting system, cabin system, engine system, electrical system, air-conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration system and network information system, etc. Meanwhile, it is fitted with oceanographic research equipment such as gantry crane and hydraulic system, hydraulic folding jib crane and manned submersible for scientific research.
The vessel has an overall length of about 80-85 meters, a beam of about 15-16 meters, and a scientific research load of about 50T, which is used to safeguard the business of deep-sea observation and exploration, and after its completion, it can carry out a variety of deep-sea surveys and sea operations such as construction and operation and maintenance of ocean observation and exploration systems, equipment testing and identification and certification, ocean mapping, survey and sampling, and other deep-sea surveys and sea operations.
As an important supplement to the marine scientific research industry system, the ship focuses on the implementation of marine scientific research tasks, and strives to build comprehensive service capabilities such as deployment and recovery of marine observation and detection equipment, operation and maintenance of observation and detection systems, and testing and verification of marine equipment. It is an important step for Guoshi Group to accelerate the creation of a highland of marine technology equipment industry.
The project is led by Haixi Electric under CSSC 712 R&D Institute, CSSC 701 Institute is responsible for the ship design, and the shipyard of Yantai Salvage Bureau of Ministry of Transport and Communications carries out the ship construction. After the completion of the ship, Guoshi Group will endeavor to build a domestic leading offshore operation and maintenance industry base, and enhance the support capacity of marine industry and scientific and technological innovation guarantee.