Advanced MacGregor Technology for Polar Research Ship

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has won an order to supply MacGregor offshore cranes and a Triplex handling system for a 14,300gt polar research vessel being built for the Polar Research Institute of China. Designed by Aker Arctic Finland, it will be the first vessel of its type to be built in China; the shipyard has yet to be named.

"Our ability to deliver tailor-made packages of equipment and a reputation for successful low temperature operations were key factors in winning this contract," says William Storvik, Shiptype Group Sales Manager, MacGregor Offshore Deck Machinery. "MacGregor products have a proven track record of performance in extreme environments, which makes them ideal for this type of vessel. Our combined expertise also ensures good value and performance for the customer and smoothes operations by reducing the number of suppliers that the shipyard and the owner have to deal with."

"MacGregor is also able to support its products with a strong worldwide service network and the owner is keen to work closely with us on global lifecycle support for the new vessel," adds Terry Onn, Senior Shiptype Sales Manager, MacGregor Offshore Deck Machinery.

The 122.5m multi-functional icebreaker will be able to handle ice up to 1.5m thick, achieving a continuous icebreaking speed of two to three knots. It will have an endurance of 20,000 nautical miles and with a full 90-person crew, it will be able to cruise for 60 days without re-supply.

The vessel will feature two MacGregor offshore cranes: a 50-tonne SWL telescopic crane with a 15m outreach and a 24-tonne SWL knuckle jib crane with a 12m outreach.

It will also be fitted with a MacGregor Triplex six-tonne SWL telescopic/knuckle jib crane with a 17m outreach and a handling system specifically designed for research equipment. The handling system comprises: a 30-tonne SWL stern-mounted A-frame; a five-tonne SWL multi-functional launch-and-recovery overhead crane for conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) oceanographic instrumentation; and a piston coring system that includes an eight-tonne SWL corer pipe handler, a 23m corer pipe cradle and a 25-tonne SWL side-mounted A-frame.

With the exception of the cranes, all MacGregor equipment will be served by a common central hydraulic system driven by one hydraulic power unit. MacGregor deliveries are scheduled for completion by the end of 2017.

Yuan Shao Hong, Director of Engineering and Secretary of the Polar Research Institute of China's party committee said at the contract signing: "We are delighted to work together with a world-leading equipment manufacturer like MacGregor to build and deliver one of the best 'green' polar research icebreakers, providing the Chinese, as well as global scientists, a good polar research platform and contributing to the world polar research development."

The Polar Research Institute of China was established in 1989. It is a public welfare institution reporting to China's State Oceanic Administration. The new vessel will join its existing 1993-delivered icebreaker, Xue Long, which operates in research stations in the Arctic and Antarctic.