Germany to build 56 million euro research ship

Brussels, 08 August 2002

Germany is financing the construction of a new research ship which will provide new data on climate change and sea movement.

The ship will be constructed at the Werft dockyard in the Federal state Schleswig Holstein, with the help of companies from neighbouring state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The government will provide 75 per cent of the 56 million euro needed, while four German Länder will provide the remaining 25 per cent.

'We expect fundamental knowledge on climate change from research with the ship. Among other things, it could be used to research sea currents, particularly changes in currents in the Gulf, which is of considerable importance for our region,' said the German Minister for research, Edelgard Bulmahn, announcing the construction of the ship.

The 94 metre ship should be operational in 2004. It will provide over 22 researchers with specialist instruments and laboratories. Research will be conducted primarily in the North Atlantic, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

CORDIS RTD-NEWS/© European Communities, 2001