KONGSBERG will provide scientific sensors and scientific processing equipment for Germany’s new oceanographic research vessel, the 135-meter-long Meteor IV. The new 10,000 gross ton vessel will be able to accommodate 35 scientists and 36 crew members.
Meteor IV will be manufactured by MeyerFassmer Spezialschiffbau (MFSB) for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in 2026 and will replace her existing research vessels Meteor and Poseidon.
“We need to deepen our understanding of climate change and its impact on the marine environment in order to protect our oceans and future generations. Ocean research is now focused on much more than just understanding climate change. “This is an important conservation issue,” said Stene Førsund, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Kongsberg Discovery. “A top priority for marine scientists is to map the entire ocean floor by 2030, but this is a daunting task that requires instruments and instruments with extremely precise calibrations.”
Kongsberg Discovery will supply Meteor IV with EM 124 and EM 712 multibeam echo sounders, which will be used for seafloor mapping at various depths. Kongsberg Discovery will provide the Seapath 380 with a motion gyro compass (MGC) R3 whose sensors use her GNSS signals and inertial measurements. These, when combined with the EM series acoustic sounders, create accurate images of the ocean floor.
To monitor ecosystems and marine life, Meteor IV uses Kongsberg Discovery’s EK80, a high-precision scientific echo sounder with acoustic Doppler current profiler capabilities. This could be used to measure the speed of fish in the water column. The EK80 measures the speed and direction of flow in the water column, helping researchers understand how organisms, nutrients, and other biological and chemical components are transported through the ocean. Masu.
Kongsberg Maritime provides Meteor IV with a fully integrated scientific handling system, enabling safe and efficient operation of cables and ropes up to 12,000 meters in length.
This scientific winch system combines two direct pull winches, two conventional twin drum traction winch systems, and Kongsberg Maritime’s field-proven cable traction control unit ( CTCU) and a third traction winch system.
The delivery also includes an outboard handling unit. Includes stern A-frame, two handling beams, corer handling system, and crane.
Completely developed and maintained in-house by Kongsberg Maritime, the control system features a proprietary predictive active heave compensation (AHC) algorithm and utilizes Kongsberg Discovery’s motion reference unit (MRU) to adjust vessel movements. Provides tailored and accurate winch system response.
Meteor IVis is designed for multifunctional and interdisciplinary research around the world, with a focus on the Atlantic Ocean. The new vessel will make important contributions to national and international marine science, especially in the field of climate and environmental research.
Source: Kongsberg