Arnalsteen, M.

Cox, D.

De Block, P.

Defence MR-Sys-N

Degraer, P.

Dupont, Y.

Lams, L.

Monteny, F.

Naudts, N.

Rbins-od Nature Mso

Roose, P.

Open Marine Archive

 61 
NewRV: A new multidisciplinary research vessel to replace the RV 
A962 Belgica 
Naudts Lieven
1
, De Block Pierre
2
, Cox David
3
, Arnalsteen Mark
3
, Rbins-od Nature Mso 
3
, Defence Mr 
Sys-n 
3
, Roose Patrick
3
, Degraer Peter
3
, Lams Luc
3
, Dupont Yves
3
 and Monteny Frank
3 
1
  Operational Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature), Royal Belgian Institute of Natural 
Sciences (RBINS), 3De en 23ste Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium 
 E-mail: Lieven.Naudts@naturalsciences.be 
2 
Belgian Defence, Eversestraat 1, B-1140 Evere, Belgium 
3
  Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO), Louizalaan 231, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium 
 
For 34 years, the RV A962 Belgica has been the marine research infrastructure for Belgian marine 
scientists working on the Belgian Part of the North Sea and in the marine realm stretching from 
Norway, over Ireland to Morocco. Even if the ship is still performing research activities, the increasing 
number of technical breakdowns and the rising maintenance cost associated with the age of the ship 
makes her replacement by a new research vessel a necessity for the Belgian marine science community 
to be able to continue performing the needed monitoring-, research and educational activities. 
 
The replacement process was initiated in 2005 with the startup of a feasibility study and was followed 
by a finance study in 2014. During all these years the question, and the uncertainty, remained if the 
best option was to modernize the current RV A962 Belgica or to foresee a replacement. In 2016, after 
a.o. the flooding of the engine room in 2015, the decision was finally made to replace the ship with 
a brand-new highly-capable multidisciplinary research vessel. 
 
Based on a cooperation agreement between Belgian Defence, BELSPO & RBINS-OD Nature the scientific 
needs of the Belgian scientific community, as were defined in 2008 & 2016, were translated into a 
tender document containing all specifications for the NewRV (= current project name). These 
specifications were discussed with 10 ship yards and were then finally published in June 2017 to start 
the procurement process for the new research vessel. A total of 7 offers were received, examined and 
evaluated. On the 22
nd
 of December 2017, the Council of Minister agreed with the selection of the 
best offer from Freire Shipyard (& Rolls-Royce). 
 
The NewRV will be a multipurpose, silent, green, ice-strengthened and full ocean research vessel 
being able to work in water depths up to 5000 m and being able to deploy a large variety of European 
marine infrastructure (incl. AUVs, ROVs, 3D seismic systems, sediment coring & rock drill devices, 
etc.). The ship will have 13 labs with a total lab space of more than 400 m
2
. There will even be deck 
space for seven gear and lab containers. The ship will be equipped with a full acoustic underwater 
instrumentation suite which will allow the scientists to map and analyze the full water column (incl. 
fauna), the seafloor and the subsurface. 
 
The NewRV will be equipped with new capabilities like dynamic positioning (DP-2), two integrated 
drop keels allowing ad hoc instalment of subsea sensors and a roll stabilization system. All these 
systems will allow the 28 scientists and marine technicians to perform their work as comfortable and 
as safe as possible and this for the coming 30 years. The new ship will be at sea for 300 days per 
year and this with a 30-day autonomy. 
 
Based on these capabilities the NewRV can support the complete Belgian marine science community 
and will also strengthen the Belgian role in the Blue Economy via its researchers, training centers and 
maritime industry. Ship time exchange with European research institutes will allow us to enhance the 
research capacity and to enlarge the study areas based on shared costs. We also foresee a financial 
return by deploying the NewRV as an exploration- & test platform, a research- & monitoring ship and 
an education- & training platform. 
 
The delivery of the new Belgian research vessel is foreseen in spring 2020. 
 
Keywords: RV A962 Belgica; NewRV; multidisciplinary research vessel  


NewRV: A new multidisciplinary research vessel to replace the RV A962 Belgica

http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/311886.pdf

NewRV: A new multidisciplinary research vessel to replace the RV A962 Belgica

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