China's largest comprehensive scientific expedition internship vessel, the Zhong Shan Da Xue, will soon be delivered to the Zhuhai Campus of Sun Yat-sen University in Tangjiawan.

The well-equipped new-generation scientific expedition vessel performed magnificently during a recent trial on the East China Sea. The vessel leads the country with a displacement of 6,880 tons and is capable of sailing worldwide with endurance of 15,000 nautical miles.

The Zhong Shan Da Xue – Sun Yat-sen University [Photo courtesy Jiangnan Shipyard]

Almost 200 people from the Scientific Expedition Ship Construction Headquarters of Sun Yat-sen University, Shanghai Jiachuan Engineering Equipment Supervision, builder Jiangnan Shipyard, designer 708th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corp, the China Classification Society, Norway-headquartered Det Norske Veritas, and others from more than 30 equipment providers took part in the trial.

The safety, cost-efficiency, and operation of the vessel all met prefixed targets. Its weight control, vibration noise, overall layout, wind resistance, power station load and fuel consumption, power system reliability, and comfort either reached or surpassed international advanced levels.

Of note, the underwater noise control represents the highest level of global scientific expedition vessels with a full-rotation podded propulsor, providing strong support to the vessel's scientific expedition level and quality as well as a comfortable working and living environment for onboard staff.

Construction of the vessel was approved by the Ministry of Education in June 2016, and began in October 2019. It was named Zhong Shan Da Xue after Sun Yat-sen University and entered water last August.

The vessel will play a major role in the cultivation of scientific expeditions and talents as Sun Yat-sen become a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.