China will build a 74,000-tonne self-propelled floating research island costing roughly 413 million dollars to conduct long-term scientific studies in the open ocean.
The facility, described as the world's first floating artificial island designed specifically for this purpose, will feature six laboratories and accommodate up to 238 crew members and researchers.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University will operate the project, while Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, will handle design and construction.
Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2028, with delivery of the vessel targeted for June 2030.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University is one of China's leading research universities, long recognized for its ocean engineering, naval architecture, and marine science programs. Its partner on the build, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, is the country's dominant naval and commercial shipbuilder, operating major yards that manufacture naval vessels, massive container ships, and advanced offshore energy platforms.
Design and Engineering Specifications
Moving away from the structure of conventional scientific vessels, the platform combines a twin-hull catamaran configuration with a semi-submersible main body. This layout allows the platform to cruise between survey areas using its own engines, while providing researchers with broad work areas and living quarters comparable to a permanent land-based facility.
In naval architecture, catamaran hulls use two parallel buoyancy structures to deliver wider deck space and greater resistance to rolling. Semi-submersible platforms place a large portion of their buoyancy volume deep below the surface, reducing the hull area exposed to waves and minimizing vessel movement in heavy seas.
According to project details reported in Chinese media, the vessel will measure approximately 138 metres in length and 85 metres in width. The main deck will stand about 45 metres high, supporting a total displacement of 74,000 tonnes, while onboard engines will deliver a top speed of 11 knots, or about 20.4 kilometres per hour.
Designers chose the twin-hull architecture primarily to maintain steady operations during long open-ocean missions. The platform is designed to operate in severe conditions with waves between 6 and 9 metres high, and is engineered to survive major typhoons with wind speeds surpassing 266 kilometres per hour.
Shipyard Offshore Experience
Self-propulsion will serve as one of the platform's defining operational strengths. Rather than remaining permanently anchored at a single location, the facility can navigate to different ocean sectors as research requirements change, combining the cruising mobility of a survey ship with the spacious workshops and accommodation of a permanent offshore station.
Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding will rely on its established background in assembling massive marine structures. The company previously built a sixth-generation semi-submersible drilling platform designed to operate in water depths reaching 3,000 metres.
Based in Shanghai near the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding is one of China's primary modern shipyards. The yard has delivered deep-water exploration rigs, floating production storage and offloading vessels for offshore oil and gas, and major commercial transport ships, giving its engineering workforce direct experience in constructing heavy marine hulls intended for demanding deep-sea environments.
Deep Ocean Research and Testing
The floating facility will house six dedicated laboratories focused on heavy marine machinery and system technologies, alongside scientific units studying ocean-related disasters, weather patterns, and long-term shifts in marine ecosystems.
The installation is intended both to advance engineering systems for deep-water marine operations and to examine natural environmental changes in the open ocean.
Oceanographic research often requires continuous monitoring over seasons or years to document subtle ecological and climatic shifts, including variations in water temperature, salinity, currents, and marine life habitats. Standard scientific survey ships must normally return to port every few weeks due to fuel limits, limited provisions, and crew rotations, which can interrupt long-term data collection in remote maritime zones.
By conducting uninterrupted observations, researchers will be able to track environmental changes that standard short-term voyages often miss. In addition, the platform's extensive engineering infrastructure will allow developers to evaluate marine systems and industrial equipment directly in open-sea conditions.
The 238-person capacity ensures that technical specialists and scientists can stay stationed on the platform for long periods. Project planners noted that having extensive onboard living space will reduce the need for frequent port visits for crew changes and supplies, allowing Chinese scientific teams to remain stationed in open waters for extended operations.
