| History | |
|---|---|
 China | |
| Name | Ji Di |
| Operator | State Oceanic Administration North Sea Branch |
| Port of registry | Qingdao, China |
| Builder | Guangzhou Shipyard International (Guangzhou, China) |
| Yard number | 21110017 |
| Launched | 29 December 2023 |
| Completed | 22 May 2024 |
| Identification | |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Research vessel |
| Tonnage | |
| Displacement | 5,600 t (5,500 long tons) |
| Length | 89.95 m (295 ft) |
| Beam | 17.8 m (58 ft) |
| Draft | 5.5 m (18 ft) |
| Ice class | Polar Class 6 |
| Installed power | Four main diesel generators |
| Propulsion | Diesel-electric; two ABB Azipod units (2 × 3.2 MW) |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Range | 14,000 nautical miles (26,000 km; 16,000 mi) |
| Endurance | 80 days |
| Crew | 60 |
Ji Di (simplified Chinese: 极地; traditional Chinese: 極地; lit. 'Polar') is a Chinese icebreaking research vessel built in 2024 for the State Oceanic Administration North Sea Branch.
As of 2024, Guangzhou Shipyard International is building a slightly bigger Polar Class 4 research vessel, Tan Suo San Hao, at the same time.
Design
Ji Di is 89.95 metres (295 ft) long overall and has a beam of 17.8 metres (58 ft) and draft of 5.5 metres (18 ft). The 5,600-tonne (5,500-long-ton) vessel has accommodation for 60 persons, operational range of 14,000 nautical miles (26,000 km; 16,000 mi), and can remain at sea for 80 days.
Ji Di has a diesel-electric propulsion system with four main diesel generators and two 3.2-megawatt (4,300 hp) ABB Azipod azimuth thrusters. The ship's speed in open water is 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and it can break 1-metre (3.3 ft) level ice at a speed of 1.5 to 2 knots (2.8 to 3.7 km/h; 1.7 to 2.3 mph).
Ji Di is built to Polar Class 6, the second-lowest ice class defined in the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Unified Requirements for Polar Class Ships, which is intended for summer and autumn operation in medium first-year ice between 70 and 120 cm (28 and 47 in) in thickness that may contain small inclusions of old sea ice that has survived at least one summer without melting completely.
History
The ship's construction was awarded to Guangzhou Shipyard International, a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, in March 2022 and the construction began shortly afterwards. It was floated out on 29 December 2023 and completed on 22 May 2024.
Ji Di, Chinese for "polar", entered service with the State Oceanic Administration North Sea Branch on 24 June 2024. In August, the ship left for its first voyage to the Arctic.
References
- ^ "Ji Di (22S0126)". Register of ships. China Classification Society. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Ji Di (9970351)". Sea-web. S&P Global. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- "Ji Di (9970351)". Equasis. Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "自然资源部北海局投资建造！5600吨"极地"号破冰科考船出坞" [The Beihai Bureau of the Ministry of Natural Resources invested in and built it! The 5,600-ton icebreaking scientific research vessel "Polar" undocking]. dailyqd.com (in Chinese). 29 December 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ ""极地"号破冰科考船今天将首次亮相 "定妆照"抢鲜看" [The ice-breaking scientific research vessel "Polar" will make its debut today in "fixed photos" for a sneak peek]. CNWEST.COM (in Chinese). 29 December 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- "Kiina rakentaa jo neljättä jäänmurtajaansa Guangzhoun telakalla". Navigator Magazine (in Finnish). 4 January 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- @lylegoldstein (February 16, 2024). "New Chinese icebreaker being built in Guangdong. Jianchuan Zhishi-China, 3.2024" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "The Surveyor Revealed the "Identity" Information of the Ship in an Interview with CCTV". China Classification Society. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- "Polar Research Vessel: China Races Ahead With 4th Icebreaker 'Ji Di'; India Bets On Russia For Joint Venture". The EurAsian Times. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- Unified Requirements for Polar Class ships Archived 2012-06-20 at the Wayback Machine. International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), April 2016. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- "Guide to meteorological instruments and methods of observation: Sea Ice Nomenclature, 7th ed". World Meteorological Organization. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ""极地"号破冰调查船今天在广州命名交付" [The "Polar" icebreaker survey ship was named and delivered in Guangzhou today]. 观察者. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- "China's Icebreakers Challenge US Staying Power on Arctic Frontier". Newsweek. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.