MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has won an order to supply MacGregor offshore cranes and a Triplex handling system for a 14,300gt polar research vessel being built for the Polar Research Institute of China. Designed by Aker Arctic Finland, it will be the first vessel of its type to be built in China; the shipyard has yet to be named.

The 122.5m multi-functional icebreaker will be able to handle ice up to 1.5m thick, achieving a continuous icebreaking speed of two to three knots. It will have an endurance of 20,000 nautical miles and with a full 90-person crew, it will be able to cruise for 60 days without re-supply.

The vessel will feature two MacGregor offshore cranes: a 50-tonne SWL telescopic crane with a 15m outreach and a 24-tonne SWL knuckle jib crane with a 12m outreach.

It will also be fitted with a MacGregor Triplex six-tonne SWL telescopic/knuckle jib crane with a 17m outreach and a handling system specifically designed for research equipment. The handling system comprises: a 30-tonne SWL stern-mounted A-frame; a five-tonne SWL multi-functional launch-and-recovery overhead crane for conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) oceanographic instrumentation; and a piston coring system that includes an eight-tonne SWL corer pipe handler, a 23m corer pipe cradle and a 25-tonne SWL side-mounted A-frame.

With the exception of the cranes, all MacGregor equipment will be served by a common central hydraulic system driven by one hydraulic power unit. MacGregor deliveries are scheduled for completion by the end of 2017.

The Polar Research Institute of China was established in 1989. It is a public welfare institution reporting to China's State Oceanic Administration. The new vessel will join its existing 1993-delivered icebreaker, Xue Long, which operates in research stations in the Arctic and Antarctic. For more information, visit www.polar.gov.cn and www.cargotec.com.