NEW BEGINNING, NEW INSPIRATION
PKNU is going to have a high-tech ‘eco-vessel’ for exploration | |||
WRITER | Department of External Cooperation | WRITE DAY | 2011-07-13 |
COUNT | 484 |
PKNU is going to have a high-tech ‘eco-vessel’ for exploration | |||||
![]() |
Department of External Cooperation | ![]() |
2011-07-13 | ![]() |
484 |
PKNU will build a state-of-the-art eco-vessel for exploration using electricity for power. The President of PKNU, Park Maeng Eon, asked a shipping company to design a vessel which will use electricity for power. This is the first time that a national university has made this request. PKNU invested 34.5 billion won, which was financially supported by the government, to make a vessel in the 1000-ton class which will measure 64m in length and 12m in breadth. PKNU awarded Korea Maritime Consultants Co., Ltd. a major shipbuilding contract. One of the distinct features of the vessel for exploration is to use electricity for power instead of diesel. Because this vessel does not use diesel for power like general ships, it can be called a ‘Green Ship’ which can help to reduce the pollution of the sea. Another distinct feature of the vessel is to have DPS (Dynamic Positioning System) which can make exploration possible without using an assistive device anchor by stopping movement on a specific location of the surface of the sea. In addition, by using GPS (Global Positioning System), it is possible to explore the sea by controlling a position automatically which can be changed by the waves and the tidal current, despite bad weather conditions. About 70 people, including 20 crew members and 50 research workers and trainees are going to perform this research and investigate the field of oceanography, including the continental shelf, by using this vessel for the exploration which has around 50 high-tech equipment for 30 days. They will sail about 7,000 miles, and the maximum speed will be 14.5 knots. The Director of the Ship Operations Training Center, Choi Gi Hyeok stated, “We will try to make a state-of-the-art vessel for the exploration to be possible to research and investigate in the field of chemistry, physics, biology, submarine geology, meteorology in the ocean. In addition, I really expect to upgrade the prospects of the ocean survey of Korea by using this vessel for exploration.” <Pukyong Today> |