VESSEL REVIEW | Tamgu No 8 – Korean science institute welcomes fisheries research vessel to fleet

South Korea's Daesun Shipbuilding and Engineering has handed over a new research vessel to the country's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, for operation by the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS).

Named Tamgu No 8 (탐구 8호; "Exploration No 8"), the vessel will be used for marine research and fisheries surveys, primarily off the western coast of South Korea, to assess the status of fisheries resources and the local marine environment and to predict three-dimensional and scientific sea conditions at each water layer at different times. This will in turn help the South Korean government in the crafting of appropriate fisheries resource management policies.

Designed for low-emission operations

The newbuild has an LOA of 58.73 metres (192.7 feet), a beam of 11.8 metres (38.7 feet), a draught of 4.5 metres (15 feet), a depth of 7.3 metres (24 feet), a displacement of 1,057 tonnes, and accommodations for up to 33 crewmembers and research personnel. A hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system that includes a Himsen-9H25/33P main engine with a rated output of 2,610 kW (3,500 hp) at 900 rpm delivers a service speed of 16 knots.

Tamgu No 8 is also one of the first fisheries research vessels in South Korea to be fitted with selective catalytic reduction technology that helps reduce NOx emissions. This allows the vessel to operate extensively even in environmentally sensitive waters.

Multi-role research and monitoring capability

The onboard selection of 12 fisheries survey equipment includes a fish finder, a trawl monitor, weather and radiation observation sensors, a steoroscopic microscope, and sensors for measuring temperature and salinity at various water layers.

Tamgu No 8 has since replaced a smaller, similarly named vessel that had been with the NIFS research fleet for nearly 30 years. Daesun Shipbuilding said that, following the completion of the new Tamgu No 8, the company will use it as a basis for applying environment-friendly technologies such as hybrid propulsion systems in the construction of small and medium-sized commercial vessels.