FF Kronprins Haakon
More than ever before, gathering knowledge about the High North and the Arctic, especially in environmental and climate research, is important. The ship Kronprins Haakon is one of the world’s most advanced research vessels in its category. It set out on its first ordinary voyage in the winter of 2018. The ship is mainly used in the north, both in the Svalbard zone and in the northern Barents Sea. The ship has icebreaker properties and can travel in waters with up to 1 meter thick ice.
It is especially within research areas such as geology and biology that UiT The Arctic University of Norway uses Kronprins Haakon. One of the many research projects that uses the ship is the large national project «Arven etter Nansen» (The Nansen Legacy), which is led by UiT. The project aims at mapping the northern Barents Sea to build knowledge about the climate and ecosystems in the Arctic and contributing to a sustainable management of the area. Almost 300 days are planned on board Kronprins Haakon throughout the project.
The ship, with its research facilities, enable us to study and monitor the stocks of fish and plankton, or how environmental toxins affect ecosystems. The ship also makes it possible to study seabed sediments in polar areas to gain more knowledge about past ice ages and understand how climate change can affect us in the future.
The research vessels continue our search for new knowledge about the unknown. In our modern society, we look for answers in the ice, like Nansen and Amundsen did, but the methods are more advanced and the questions are bigger. The researchers at FF Kronprins Haakon look for answers and solutions to global climate change and what consequences these have for our living conditions and the planet’s ever-decreasing species diversity.
Facts:
The ship is named after the Norwegian Crown Prince, Haakon Magnus, born in 1973 and the heir to the throne of Norway.
Ownership:
- 50% UiT Norway’s Arctic University
- 30% Norwegian Polar Institute (legal owner)
- 20% Institute of Marine Research (operation)
Technical details:
- Length: 100 meters
- Width: 21 meters
- Range: 15,000 nautical miles (i.e., round trip Tromsø — Cape Town)
- Endurance: 65 days at cruising speed.
- Accommodation for 55 people in 38 cabins. 40 passengers.
Research facilities:
- 15 laboratories
- 3 container laboratories
- 4 cold storage rooms
- 2 freezer rooms for samples
- Auditorium with 50 seats
Sources:
- https://kronprinshaakon.hi.no/en/projects/kronprins-haakon
- https://arvenetternansen.com/
- Contact person at the BFE faculty, UiT: Johnny Johansen, Head of Vessels and Technical Services Unit.