$35M to Build New Hydrogen-Powered Research Vessel in U.S.
New Hydrogen-Powered Research Vessel to be Built in California
Scripps Institute of Oceanography has announced that it has received $35 million from the state of California to design and build a new coastal research vessel with a hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system to replace the aging R/V Robert Gordon Sproul.
This new research vessel, which Scripps at UC San Diego will run, will serve as a platform for studying the California coastline and how climate change affects the ecology.
This innovative vessel will be used for scientific research in California and will make it possible for scientists to gather and measure biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes that are related with environmental challenges.
Replacing the Robert Gordon Sproul will take three years to design, build, and commission, and then the new 125-foot vessel will assume the Sproul’s 40-year service.
Once completed, the vessel will be one of Scripps’ fleet of ocean-focused research vessels, which includes the Navy-owned research vessels Sally Ride and Roger Revelle, as well as the R/V Bob and Betty Beyster, a nearby scientific workboat.
