German Exploration Ships
The German Research Foundation has announced plans to replace three regional research ships, ALKOR, HEINCKE, and ELISABETH MANN BORGESE, in 2023. These vessels, which are classified as global, oceanic, regional, and local research vessels, are approaching the end of their maximum service life.
Germany's research fleet is comprehensive, encompassing not only these vessels but also specialized ships of departmental research institutions and smaller research cutters like UTHÖRN and COREOLIS. The fleet includes seven high-seas-capable research vessels, including POLARSTERN, SONNE, METEOR, MARIA S. MERIAN, ELISABETH MANN BORGESE, ALKOR, and HEINCKE.
Regional-class ships, such as ALKOR and HEINCKE, operate in regional seas like the North and Baltic Sevens, Mediterranean, or Black Sea, while global-class research ships, like POLARSTERN, have icebreaking capabilities and can reach polar regions. Local ships, like UTHÖRN and COREOLIS, will be the first to operate climate-neutrally with CO-neutral methanol-water hydrogen propulsion.
In 2026, a new research vessel named METEOR IV will be commissioned, replacing the research ships POSEIDON and METEOR. The new METEOR IV is a qualified development of the SONNE, which entered service in 2014. The commissioning of the POLARSTERN is planned for 2030, and the new Polarstern II, a modern and powerful research and supply icebreaker, is being constructed for precise climate data and models from the Arctic and Antarctic. It is set to be handed over to science in Wismar in 2030.
The Polarstern II, like its predecessor, is not a delivery service. Instead, it enables marine, coastal, and polar research at the highest scientific level, much like its counterparts in the fleet. Germany operates a modern and high-performing fleet of research vessels for marine research across all disciplines and oceans.
In summary, the German Research Foundation is modernizing its research fleet, with plans to replace several vessels and commission new ones, such as the METEOR IV and the Polarstern II. This investment in research vessels will ensure Germany continues to make significant contributions to marine research, particularly in the polar regions.
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