About two-thirds of China's 15 major research vessels currently in operation -- most of which were built in the early 1980s -- are outdated and on the verge of being retired, Sun Song, director of the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), said in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong province.

Sun said China needs to build at least 10 more research vessels in order to maintain a total of no fewer than 15 after the old vessels retire.

On Nov. 30, China launched a newly designed research vessel, Kexue (or "Science"), on the Yangtze River in Wuhan, the capital city of central Hubei province.

The ship is the most advanced comprehensive research vessel ever built in China. It will dramatically boost the country's capability in oceanographic surveying and bridge the gap between China and Western marine powers, Sun, who is also the director of the Kexue project, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Kexue alone cannot fill the role of specialty vessels, but it will be a key research vessel among China's fleet in the next 10 to 20 years, according to Sun.

"China also needs more advanced specialty vessels, such as oil, environmental and engineering vessels, to build up a complete oceanographic surveying system," he said.

CHINA'S MOST ADVANCED RESEARCH VESSEL

Kexue's launch in Wuhan is only one phase in the project, which is expected to conclude in June next year, when the vessel is due to be delivered to the IOCAS for its maiden voyage.

The project, initiated by the IOCAS, kicked off in 2010 after being approved by the country's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, in 2007.

"Unlike other research vessels initiated or built on the ministerial level, the Kexue project is a state-level project and is considered a key program in China's basic scientific research," Sun said.

Kexue, measuring 99.6 meters long and 17.8 meters wide, is outfitted with a slew of world-class equipment and facilities, said Yu Jianjun, the project's chief engineer.

The vessel is equipped with a podded electric propulsion system -- the first of its kind in the world for a research vessel, according to Yu.

Compared with traditionally propelled research vessels with diesel engines, the ship's electric propulsion system gives it a more efficient power supply, creates less noise and vibration, and makes it easier to maneuver.

The system enables the ship to move at continuously varying speeds of up to 15 knots.

Assisted by bow thrusters, the system also enables the vessel to make 360-degree turns on a fixed position, Yu added.

The ship is capable of maintaining a fixed position and direction in high winds and rough waters during underwater operations thanks to its dynamic positioning system, he said.

Another improvement brought along by the technology is a 30-percent cut in energy consumption compared with research vessels propelled by more traditional means.

Various oceanographic research aspects, such as water body detection, atmospheric exploration, deep-sea environment exploration and remote sensing information verification, will be conducted after it is put into use, according to Sun.

"The vessel is just like a Swiss Army Knife that has multiple functions to meet a variety of demands," Sun said.

A 44-meter long deck is able to accommodate four 40-inch container science laboratories. There are also six winches, two A-type boat stands and three cranes installed aboard the vessel.

The vessel has a cruising capacity of 15,000 nautical miles, and can carry 80 crew members and scientists to work in all of the world's oceans for up to 60 days.

In comparison, two of the world's most advanced research vessels, the British RRS James Cook and the Norwegian G.O. Sars can carry 54 and 45 crew members and scientists at sea for 50 and 48 days, respectively.

Though it lacks ice-breaking capability, Kexue is able to reach the Antarctic region to carry out oceanographic research missions during four months of the warm season each year, according to Yu.

The ship was designed by China State Shipbuilding Corp. and was constructed by Wuhan-based Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd. at a cost of 550 million yuan (87 million U.S. dollars)

A SHARED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PLATFORM

Although it will be operated by IOCAS, Kexue is a shared and public platform that will be available for all of China's oceanology scientists and organizations to carry out scientific research onboard, Sun said.

In addition, the vessel is a platform for international cooperation in ocean studies, with Sun promising, "We shall participate in many international cooperative programs, in which many foreign scientists will conduct research onboard our vessel."

Kexue's first expedition, scheduled for the second half of 2012, will traverse China's continental margins to the western Pacific Ocean, focusing on programs including the influence of the Pacific Ocean over China's climate and offshore environment, marine bio-diversity, and deep-sea environment and life detection, according to Sun.

CHINA'S DEEP-SEA AMBITIONS

Kexue also carries with it the nation's dream of plumbing the depths of the world's oceans, which remain a mysterious space for mankind with vast resource potential.

China had previously successfully sent its manned submersible, Jiaolong, to a record depth of 5,188 meters, becoming the fifth nation to send a man 3,500 meters below sea level following the United States, France, Russia and Japan.

Kexue, too, is specially designed to support future manned deep-sea submersible dives, Sun said.

Meanwhile, four of the ship's six winches feature 10,000-meter wires that are supposed to carry out deep-sea experiments and exploration, according to Yu.

"China should set its sights beyond continental margins to deep-sea areas, though, economically, continental margins provide about 90 percent of the oceans' fishing resources," Sun said.

On the other hand, changes in the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean will directly affect the climate in China as well as in the East Asia region, Sun explained.

"In that sense, it is difficult for us to understand the inland climate without studying the deep-sea area," he said.

Kexue is capable of undertaking these tasks, Sun said.

"When the vessel passes, it will take a clear picture of the sea floor and physical properties of the sea water below as data such as water temperature, salinity and density will be automatically collected through its onboard instruments," he said. "This data will help us understand how the oceans affect our lives.

"Moreover, China should make its own contributions to enhancing mankind's understanding of the oceans as the country is becoming an economic power." (Xinhua)