Canadian government funding secured for new ocean research vessel

Canadian marine conservation organisation Oceans North has received project funding from the government of Canada to design a state-of-the-art, multi-use, zero-emission ocean research vessel.

This project will provide the conceptual design for a new ocean research vessel and assess the feasibility of zero-emission propulsion technologies suitable for deep ocean and remote area research in Canadian waters.

The design will consider the combination of zero-emission fuels with battery technologies that will allow the vessel to operate in “ultra-silent” mode, significantly reducing underwater noise when entering sensitive ocean ecosystems. In addition, the project will develop and utilise new versatile, modular research infrastructure that will allow the vessel to support a wide range of oceanographic and commercial activities.

The project received CA$125,000 (US$90,400) under the Government of Canada’s Clean Vessel Demonstration grant stream of the Green Shipping Corridor Program.

The feasibility study will be led by Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services, a majority Indigenous-owned marine services company based in Newfoundland and Labrador, in collaboration with naval architecture firm Allswater Marine. Additional project partners include Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, Spain's Freire Shipyard, MEOPAR, and the University of Alberta.