Radio Holland to Supply Antarctic Research Vessel

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS, Vlissingen) has awarded Radio Holland a large and innovative contract to supply the IT systems on board the state-of-the-art Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) for the Australian Antarctic Division.

This three year newbuild project is exemplary in providing solutions for more demanding and complex IT configurations and functionality.The 160m ASRV is a survey vessel which combines icebreaking, survey and supply activities. The vessel will be able to break ice up to 1.65 meters at a speed of 3 knots and will supply Australia’s permanent research stations in Antarctica and Macquarie Island with cargo, equipment and personnel.

Large IT infrastructure - Storing Scientific Data

Radio Holland will deliver a large IT infrastructure consisting of central IT cabinets and various switching cabinets located at strategic positions on the vessel. The network will be used as the infrastructure for various systems on board such as entertainment, CCTV, video conferencing, IP telephony and narrow casting. A large compute and storage array will be used to store scientific data and process this data on board.  Another special feature will be the Sea Tools underwater camera system, with underwater cameras mounted on retraction units to provide a live view under the vessel while sailing.

Remote Monitoring

Bart Schuitema, ICT Manager at Radio Holland comments,

“The ASRV will be based in Hobart, Tasmania and operating for extended periods in Antarctica during which it is not possible to visit the vessel for service or repairs. The network is designed to be resilient and operate under tough conditions and is setup with a remote monitoring service, overseeing the health of the network.

"The equipment that is mounted outside will be in extreme temperatures down to -30 degrees Celsius. The network is equipped with a remote maintenance console allowing the Radio Holland Network Operation Center to service and support the network via any satellite connection wherever the vessel is operating.”

Pre-commissioning and the Factory Acceptance

Tests will be executed at Radio Holland premises in The Netherlands. The engineering for this project has already commenced and will continue until the second half of 2018. In 2019 the installation and commissioning will start in Romania and the project is expected to be ready for delivery early 2020. 

Bart Schuitema concludes,

“Our team is proud to have been awarded the contract and to assist Damen as a partner for three years during this important and challenging project. We are convinced that Radio Holland is well positioned to handle this large IT project, given our experience in interfacing maritime equipment, our scope of delivery as well as experience in managing maritime projects and provide the required after sales service.”