On April 20, China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Guangzhou Shipbuilding International Co., Ltd. (GSI) launched China’s first deep-sea multi-functional scientific investigation and cultural relic archaeological ship “Tansuo-3”. “Tansuo-3” is co-funded by the People’s Government of Hainan Province, Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City and the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The construction of the deep-sea multifunctional scientific investigation and cultural relics archaeological ship started on June 25, 2023, and it is the first comprehensive scientific investigation ship independently designed by Chinese engineers with the ability of manned deep-diving support in the ice area, and it possesses completely independent intellectual property rights. GSI has broken through the monopoly bottlenecks of many key technologies, such as the overall design technology of ships in ice area, intelligent control technology, low-temperature precise compensation technology and the integrated design of ice area load and heavy load structure.
In the development of the ship, GSI has completed a full range of ice deck deep-sea scientific research and the largest watertight scientific research moon pool system equipment, ice deep-sea acoustic detection, communication and positioning equipment, ship power positioning system and other homemade technology research and carrying.
In terms of ship construction, GSI has overcome the efficient welding technology of low-temperature steel, and completed the hull fabrication, loading of power electromechanical equipment, as well as the optimized layout and high-precision installation of scientific research equipment.
The construction of the deep-sea multifunctional scientific investigation and cultural relics archaeology ship includes ship system, manned deep-diving surface support system and comprehensive scientific investigation operation system. The ship measures about 104 meters in length, displaces about 10,000 tons, with a maximum speed of 16 knots. Its bows and sterns breaking ice in both directions, the ice strengthening up to PC4, endurance of 15,000 nautical miles, and carrying a crew of 80 people.
The ship is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2025.