2011-12-09 (China Military News cited from Xinhua) -- China needs to build at least 10 more research vessels in the next five to 10 years to cater to the country's rising demand for marine exploration, especially in deep-sea areas, an oceanologist has said.

About two-thirds of China's 15 major research vessels currently in operation -- most of which were built in the early 1980s -- are outdated and on the verge of being retired, Sun Song, director of the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), said in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong province.

Sun said China needs to build at least 10 more research vessels in order to maintain a total of no fewer than 15 after the old vessels retire.

On Nov. 30, China launched a newly designed research vessel, Kexue (or "Science"), on the Yangtze River in Wuhan, the capital city of central Hubei province.

The ship is the most advanced comprehensive research vessel ever built in China. It will dramatically boost the country's capability in oceanographic surveying and bridge the gap between China and Western marine powers, Sun, who is also the director of the Kexue project, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Kexue alone cannot fill the role of specialty vessels, but it will be a key research vessel among China's fleet in the next 10 to 20 years, according to Sun.

"China also needs more advanced specialty vessels, such as oil, environmental and engineering vessels, to build up a complete oceanographic surveying system," he said.

CHINA'S MOST ADVANCED RESEARCH VESSEL

Kexue's launch in Wuhan is only one phase in the project, which is expected to conclude in June next year, when the vessel is due to be delivered to the IOCAS for its maiden voyage.

The project, initiated by the IOCAS, kicked off in 2010 after being approved by the country's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, in 2007.

"Unlike other research vessels initiated or built on the ministerial level, the Kexue project is a state-level project and is considered a key program in China's basic scientific research," Sun said.

Kexue, measuring 99.6 meters long and 17.8 meters wide, is outfitted with a slew of world-class equipment and facilities, said Yu Jianjun, the project's chief engineer.

The vessel is equipped with a podded electric propulsion system -- the first of its kind in the world for a research vessel, according to Yu.

Compared with traditionally propelled research vessels with diesel engines, the ship's electric propulsion system gives it a more efficient power supply, creates less noise and vibration, and makes it easier to maneuver.

The system enables the ship to move at continuously varying speeds of up to 15 knots.

Assisted by bow thrusters, the system also enables the vessel to make 360-degree turns on a fixed position, Yu added.

The ship is capable of maintaining a fixed position and direction in high winds and rough waters during underwater operations thanks to its dynamic positioning system, he said.

Another improvement brought along by the technology is a 30-percent cut in energy consumption compared with research vessels propelled by more traditional means.