Future flagship of German polar research: New Polarstern
Detlef Wilde, project director for the construction of the new Polarstern at the Alfred Wegener Institute.
Research vessel
Icebreaker
Expedition
New Polarstern
The Research Vessel Polarstern has been underway in the Arctic and Antarctic for 40 years, giving experts from around the globe the opportunity to safely and effectively conduct research in two of the most extreme regions on our planet. The Polarstern was instrumental for the Federal Republic of Germany in assuming a leading role in polar and marine research shortly after becoming a consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty. To ensure that this research is also possible in the future, and at the highest scientific and technological level, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has enabled the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) to launch the Europe-wide procurement procedure and to coordinate the construction of a modern, high-performance and sustainable successor to the Polarstern. The tender and construction of the new research and resupply ship will be coordinated by a newly formed AWI project group led by aerospace engineer Detlef Wilde.
Since the federal budget for 2022 was approved by the German Bundestag on June 3rd, 2022, the procurement procedure for the new Polarstern could begin. The AWI promptly launched the Europe-wide procurement procedure on June 8th, 2022, so that the competitive bidding could start as the first step. Due to the secret and complex nature of the competition, further information on the status of the procurement procedure for the new Polarstern is expected in 2024. The handover of the completed ship is slated for 2027.
The new Polarstern will make it possible for researchers from around the globe to unravel the complex processes at work in the Earth system – particularly in the cold and temperate regions of the world – and to gain critical insights into the fundamental climate change our planet is now experiencing. The goal is to find solutions for preserving the ecological equilibrium of the polar regions and oceans for future generations. The requirements profile reflects the lessons learned over the Polarstern’s nearly 40 years of service.
The new Polarstern will be capable of operating under changing ice and weather conditions, ensuring the AWI can reliably pursue its research mission – unravelling the complex processes at work in the Earth system, particularly in the cold and temperate regions of the world – for decades to come. The new research vessel will offer improved icebreaking performance, ensuring that it can penetrate the few regions (e.g. the southern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic) in which the ice is too thick for today’s Polarstern. The new Polarstern must be able to transport cutting-edge heavy gear for drilling sediment cores and is to feature a “moon pool”: a sheltered hatch in the ship’s hull that will allow complex diving robots to launch below the ice.
Last but not least, the successor to the Polarstern is intended to be a symbol of innovation and sustainability in research and must accordingly satisfy the highest energy-efficiency and environmental standards. At the same time, it must be ensured that the new Polarstern can be operated safely, efficiently and reliably in extreme regions far from any resupply options.
