Breaking the ice: divers head beneath UK’s polar research ship in Antarctic sea ice mission

While most of us are already thinking about the coming holidays, our field team onboard the British polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough is preparing for ice trials in the Weddell Sea. It’s a joint operation between Aker Arctic, British Antarctic Survey, Lloyd’s Register, Kongsberg Maritime and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to verify performance and measure ice loads on the ship’s hull and propulsion.

“These trials are truly one of a kind. Direct measurements of propeller ice loads are fundamental to advancing dimensioning practices for safe and sustainable polar shipping, yet their complexity has meant they are rarely undertaken.

What makes this programme genuinely groundbreaking is that, for the first time, propeller, shaft and hull ice loads will be measured simultaneously. This will deliver an unprecedented understanding of the strength levels required for ships like these, helping to shape the next generation of vessels capable of operating safely across a wide range of ice conditions.”

Rob Hindley, Head of Consultancy & Technology Development at Aker Arctic and the leader of the Aker Arctic’s ice trials team onboard RRS Sir David Attenborough.

You can read more about the project in the article published by the British Antarctic Survey.