US Department of Energy welcomes first hybrid research vessel

The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently took delivery of a new hybrid electric research vessel to be operated by its affiliate Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) out of Sequim, Washington.

Built at the Seattle facilities of Snow and Company, Resilience was designed to carry two crewmembers and up to six scientists. It contains an onboard laboratory, powerful lifting capacity with an A-frame and a boom crane, a spacious deck for deploying and recovering large instrument packages, and support for a variety of sensors.

The 50-foot (-metre) newbuild is the first hybrid research vessel to be acquired by the DOE. It will be operated primarily in Sequim Bay off northwestern Washington.

The hybrid propulsion system includes a Spear Power Systems 113kWh lithium-ion battery and two Volvo Penta diesel engines. The vessel can sail on fully electric mode for up to four hours at six knots, while the diesel engines will deliver a maximum speed of 28 knots. The battery can be charged at a shore station at PNNL-Sequim.

The onboard equipment also includes a davit, a dedicated transducer mount, and a scuba compressor.