China contracts 74,000-tonne semisubmersible research platform from SWS
Shanghai Jiao Tong University ordered a self-propelled twin-hull offshore facility designed to host six laboratories and 238 people.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University signed a construction contract on October 18, 2026, with the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding shipyard to build a self-propelled, semisubmersible offshore facility, scinexx reported scinexx.de
scinexxscinexx.deOpen source ↗. The project represents a national large-scale scientific installation designed to function as a mobile deep-sea research laboratory. The shipyard received the construction award in September 2026 for 2.763 billion yuan, with vessel delivery scheduled for June 2030.
Technical design and marine capabilities
The facility is conceptualized as a twin-hull semisubmersible platform with submerged load-bearing hulls. Specifications indicate a maximum displacement of approximately 74,000 tonnes and a planned transit speed of 11 knots, or roughly 20 kilometers per hour. According to design targets, the structure is projected to maintain scientific operations in sea state 7 and endure typhoons reaching Chinese scale category 17. The stated figures reflect engineering requirements rather than validated open-sea performance.
Scientific infrastructure and support
The onboard layout includes accommodations and working areas for up to 238 crew members and researchers. Plans outline six onboard laboratories and a dedicated offshore operational support center to run simultaneous experiments. Targeted applications encompass testing heavy marine engineering hardware, observing extreme meteorological phenomena, and collecting long-term datasets on marine ecosystems.
Shoreline infrastructure will support prolonged operations at sea. Two land bases are planned on Changxing Island near Shanghai and in Sanya on Hainan Island to provide maintenance, logistical operations, and scientific data transfer scinexx.de
scinexxscinexx.deOpen source ↗. Whether the combination of self-propulsion and a semisubmersible hull delivers the expected stability under extreme sea conditions remains to be demonstrated during sea trials after construction.
