New Arctic research vessel to be a global facility

Hajime Yamaguchi,
Former Visiting Principal Researcher,
Project Office for Arctic Research Vessel (PARV)

In 2021, the Japanese government decided on the construction of a new Arctic research vessel, scheduled to enter service in 2026. As an expert in sea ice study and naval architecture, I have been involved in this project, for almost five years from the conceptual stage of this ship to the decision to build it. As we enter the process of final design and construction in the next five years, we are bracing ourselves again.

The Japanese Antarctic icebreaking research vessel Shirase is well-known, but this ship was designed by prioritizing its’ icebreaking and transportation capability (>1,000 tons of cargo/year) in support of Showa Station, located where sea ice is a particular problem.

Obviously, research capability was poor; therefore, this new JAMSTEC Arctic Research icebreaker will be Japan’s first, with full observation capability on the same level or better than the oceanographic research vessel Mirai. Icebreaking ability is expressed by how many knots a ship can sail in level ice. The icebreaker capacity of Shirase is 3 knots in 1.5 m thick level ice, while that of the new economical JAMSTEC Arctic research vessel is 3 knots in 1.2 m thick level ice at almost half the propulsion motor output of Shirase. The new vessel is an advanced environmentally-friendly ship, with features like the dual-fuel engine and the use of stainless clad steel for the outer hull panels.
Another major feature is the development and installation of an ice navigation support system (INSS). This system simultaneously monitors and records the condition of the ship and the surrounding environment, and these data are used for safe and economical route and observation planning. The recorded data can be downloaded after the cruise and used as baseline data when observation data analysis and also contribute to the progress of the ship's “digital twin”.

The new Arctic Research Vessel’s icebreaking capacity is not the greatest in the world, even for Japan. Even so, this vessel will be able to sail to the North Pole or perform a trans-Arctic cruise during the mild summer sea ice conditions. Even in severe winter sea ice season, this vessel can cruise around the edge of the Arctic Ocean. This will be an epoch-making new Arctic research vessel capable of performing cutting-edge research in the world's oceans with almost no seasonal restrictions.