Politics delayed renewal of outdated research fleet

The "Polarstern", frozen near the North Pole, is currently making headlines. But the German research fleet is outdated. Politics take their time.

(K) old barge. This winter, the "Polarstern" is home to dozens of top researchers who are researching the Arctic Ocean .... PHOTO: GAUTHIER CHAPELLE / AWI

German polar research has made many headlines in recent weeks: with the large Arctic expedition "Mosaic", in which dozens of scientists, trapped in the ice, drift past the North Pole and research how the Arctic "ticks" in the winter half-year. They live on the ship "Polarstern", which protects them from storm, cold and polar bears and is equipped with various research equipment.

But whether such expeditions will be possible in the future is open. Because the "Polarstern" is now 38 years old. A successor should have been driving for a long time. But not even the award procedure for a new building of a modern research ship that could replace the “Polarstern” has been completed.

Four out of eight research ships will soon leave the ship
The ministry's considerations are based on "Recommendations for the future development of the German naval research fleet", which the Science Council presented in 2010 and which were incorporated into an overall ship strategy. Among other things, it states that experts see a "shipbuilding and economically sustainable useful life of research ships" of a maximum of 30 years.

"When deciding on new buildings, the increasing operating costs of outdated research ships, increased failure risks, increased safety and environmental standards and the possibility of using new research technology are decisive criteria." Already at the beginning of the decade it was clearly stated: Four of the eight ocean-going research ships, which are responsible for the BMBF are assigned to go off the road in the next ten years, as the jargon says.
In fact, there has been a new “sun” since 2014. There is no substitute for the "Poseidon", which was decommissioned in December - and is now to be converted into a refugee ship by the "United4Rescue" association. The "Polarstern" continues.

But old ships can quickly cause problems. At the end of 2014, a trip to the Antarctic had to be stopped due to severe damage to the drive and the ship had to be ordered back to Germany. Two and a half months of expedition were lost, more than 100 scientists and technicians were affected by the failure.

10 million maintenance expenses annually - and the older, the more repairs
The Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (Alfred Wegener Institute, AWI) has reported that there has never been a serious breakdown like this. "Even on the current expedition in the Arctic Ocean, there have been no technical problems with the ship," says Uwe Nixdorf, deputy director of the AWI and responsible for logistics. "We will see how much maintenance will be required in autumn when Polarstern returns and comes to the shipyard." Just under two months are planned for this.
"With increasing age, you have to expect that in addition to the usual renovations, unplanned repairs are also necessary," says Nixdorf. The AWI currently calculates the maintenance costs at 10 million euros per year.
These costs would of course be lower for a new ship. "When the planning for a successor started in 2008, it was decided that this should offer the same services as the Polarstern." In addition, some improvements are hoped for. "With an optimized hull, you could penetrate further into the ice than before," says Nixdorf, giving one example.

The researchers would also like to have a moon pool: an approximately four by four meter shaft inside the ship, from which they can launch diving robots and other research equipment even when the sea is rough or ice. The old Polarstern has only one small shaft, which can be used for a few devices.
According to the overall ship strategy, the new Polarstern should have been in operation since 2017. But even the negotiations for the new building have not yet been completed. According to the BMBF website, this should have happened in 2019. On request, the Ministry informed the Tagesspiegel that the award procedure was still ongoing. Information on the current cost estimate and a possible time of deployment will not be given with reference to "procurement law reasons".

In 2012, 450 million euros were calculated for a new Polarstern - that is no longer enough today
In 2012, 450 million euros were estimated for the new building; it is questionable whether this is still sufficient today. Also whether the new ship is ready for use in time. The current shipping contract for the Polarstern between the shipping company F. Laeisz and the AWI includes an extension option up to March 2024.
What do the researchers do when this contract expires and there is no new ship? At least from a technical point of view, the end of Polarstern is not mandatory, says Uwe Nixdorf from AWI. "We were given the prospect that the Polarstern 2022 would get a" great class "again - a kind of ship inspection," he says. "Then she could sail until 2027." The ship would then be 45 years old.
The researchers are reluctant to criticize, Ekin Deligöz is different: “Despite several announcements, there is still no substitute for the research ship Polarstern in sight. There is no reliable schedule, nor is it foreseeable how much the new building will ultimately cost the federal government, ”said the MP. “In the meantime, the award procedure has been taking so long that the calculation basis has long been out of date. The Ministry of Research leaves the future of German polar research in the dark and does not do justice to its importance for climate protection. "

Gaps can still be closed - but that causes a long time