Coastal research cruises will get a little greener next year, after a former Canadian Coast Guard vessel is transformed into North America’s first hybrid fuel cell and plug-in “green” ship. The University of Victoria’s new ship will be used for coastal ocean research and service cruises for both VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada.
This dream, many years in planning, will become a reality thanks to $13.3 million in funding by the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund and the Canada Fund for Innovation plus an additional #1.19 million in funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada. The former 26.7m Tsekoa II will be lengthened, equipped for research work and revamped using cutting-edge green technology.
The refit will install an all-electric propulsion system, powered by batteries, fuel cells and low-emission diesel generators. The hybrid system will provide energy for low-speed maneuvering and station-keeping and will also supply high-quality power for ship systems, communications and instrumentation. This green technology will reduce carbon emissions and enhance the ship’s fuel efficiency. It will also permit acoustically sensitive research operations—such as marine mammal observations or studies of sound in the ocean— without requiring power from noisy diesel engines.
This new green ship technology is possible thanks to collaboration between the University of Victoria’s green transportation research team and British Columbia’s marine engineering and alternative power system sectors. The ship will be a floating testbed for this new hybrid technology and is expected to open new niche markets in the marine sector.
In addition to propulsion upgrades, numerous other upgrades are planned. The ship will be chopped in half, with a new 6.6m section inserted to extend the total length to 33m. The new section will include a science lab and berths for 15 additional crew and scientists. In addition, the ship will be equipped with A-frames, winch pads and cranes for deploying plankton nets, scientific instruments and remotely operated vehicles. A portable multi-beam sonar system will allow high-resolution mapping of the seafloor. The rear deck will also feature a customized wet lab built into a shipping container that can be craned on and off the ship as necessary.
The resulting ship will serve as a tailor-made platform for coastal ocean research on changing ecosystems, marine resources and continental shelf and slope dynamics. The ship will mostly support operations by VENUS, our sister network, in the Straight of Georgia. NEPTUNE Canada will use the ship for near-shore operations at our Folger Passage location, near Bamfield, British Columbia. The ship will also serve the needs of researchers from the University of Victoria and four partner institutions—the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Island University and the University of Alberta. When not in use by these institutions, the ship will be available for charter by other university and government researchers.
The Canada Fund for Innovation provided $31.9 million in initial funding for NEPTUNE Canada in 2003, an additional $8 million in 2006, and $4.2 million in 2008 toward initial operating costs.
Since 2001, the BC government has committed $1.8 billion to research in British Columbia, and leveraged another $1.3 billion in research funding from other sources. To date, the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund—the government’s major research infrastructure investment program—has invested over $423 million for research.
Western Economic Diversification Canada, who provided $1.19 million for this green ship project, works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and advances the interests of western Canadians in national decision-making.
[mappress] Source: NEPTUNE, August 9, 2011; uvic