The REV Ocean expedition yacht will be entering the expedition cruise market, with V.Ships Leisure signing on as the vessel management company.
REV Ocean is a not-for-profit created by Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke with the 182.9-meter newbuild yacht designed for marine science and research with a maximum capacity of 90 people, including crew, scientists and guests. The ship is expected to enter service in 2021.
The ship, which will be the world’s largest yacht, will function as a research vessel, be available for full charters and then also sail expedition cruises with 30 passengers working alongside 24 scientists.
Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean, said: “At REV Ocean our mission is to make a true difference in improving the state of our ocean. To achieve this, we need to work together and establish partnerships with other leading institutions and organizations with similar goals and values, primarily a commitment to sustainability and the future health of our planet.”
Per Bjornsen, V.Ships Leisure Director, said: “While the maritime industry endeavors to reduce carbon emissions across its global fleet, it’s also imperative that we continue look at the whole picture, both inside and outside of our industry, if we are to build towards a better and more sustainable future. With this in mind, we have made it our goal at V.Group to go beyond helping our customers to meet regulation, to leading the fight for cleaner shipping.
“This exciting new partnership with REV Ocean will allow us to leverage V.Group’s unique range of expertise and experience, and our powerful digital ship management platform ShipSure, to contribute to vital scientific research and maximize positive impact, on a vessel that demonstrates the cutting edge in green ship technology,” Bjornsen added.
The vessel is currently being built at VARD in Tulcea, Romania, and will soon be towed to Norway for outfitting. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Norway from her 35-day tow in early October.
The ship will be equipped for conducting researching covering the entire marine ecosystem and many of the technology systems onboard have been developed by knowledge clusters in Norway, according to the company.
An independent scientific committee will evaluate and recommend research projects to pursue, and ensure the highest level of scientific standards and research quality.
Among her features, the ship has the range and equipment to make autonomous expeditions around the globe and can operate autonomously for 114 days.
The powerplant is made up of diesel electric engines with an additional 3MW lithium-ion battery pack for peak shaving and ensuring optimum efficiency, with silent running under batteries alone for limited periods of time at biomass sampling speeds 2 knots during research missions
