Xue Long 2

Xue Long 2 at Victoria Harbour in 2024
History
China
NameXue Long 2 (simplified Chinese: 雪龙2; traditional Chinese: 雪龍2; pinyin: Xuě Lóng 2)
OwnerPolar Research Institute of China
Port of registryShanghai, China
BuilderJiangnan Shipyard, Shanghai, China
Yard numberH2650
Launched10 September 2018
Completed11 July 2019
IdentificationIMO number: 9829241
StatusIn service
General characteristics
TypeResearch vessel
Displacement14,300 tons
Length122.5 m (402 ft)
Beam22.3 m (73 ft)
Draught
  • 7.9 m (26 ft) (design)
  • 8.3 m (27 ft) (maximum)
Depth11.8 m (39 ft)
Ice classPolar Class 3
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (1 engine)
  • 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) (2 engines)
  • 2–3 knots (3.7–5.6 km/h; 2.3–3.5 mph) in 1.5 m (4.9 ft) ice
Capacity90 crew and scientists
Aviation facilitiesHelideck and hangar

Xue Long 2 (simplified Chinese: 雪龙2; traditional Chinese: 雪龍2; pinyin: Xuě Lóng 2; lit. 'Snow Dragon 2') is a Chinese icebreaking research vessel that entered service in 2019. She follows the naming of Xue Long, China's first polar research vessel.

History

The 5 million euro design contract for China's first domestically-built polar research vessel was signed in 2012 with the Finnish engineering company Aker Arctic, though construction did not begin until December 2016. She was built at Jiangnan Shipyard.

Xue Long 2 now in service both as a supply vessel for China's research facilities in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and as a research vessel, with capabilities for geological and biological experimentation and surveying.

On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard spotted Xue Long 2 about 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska, 130 nautical miles inside the U.S.'s extended continental shelf.

Design

Xue Long 2 measures 122.5 metres (402 ft) long, with a beam of 22.3 metres (73 ft) and a draft of 8.3 metres (27 ft) at full load. She has a displacement of 14,300 tonnes. She has a diesel-electric propulsion system, with two 8-cylinder and two 12-cylinder engines, both Wärtsilä 32-series designs, powering two 7.5 MW Azipod propulsion units that give her a speed of up to 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) in open water and 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) when breaking 1.5-metre (4.9 ft) ice. Her ice class is Polar Class 3 and she is able to break ice while traveling either ahead or astern.

References

  1. ↑ China Launches Icebreaker Xuelong 2. The Maritime Executive, 10 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  2. ↑ China builds first polar research ship Archived 2018-04-17 at the Wayback Machine. The Motorship, 17 April 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  3. 1 2 3 "First Chinese-built polar icebreaker gets name". Xinhua. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  4. ↑ China awards Aker Arctic contract for icebreaker design. MarineLog, 31 July 2012. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "China builds first polar research ship". The Motorship. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Chinese research ship detected off Alaskan coast, Coast Guard says - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2025-07-26. Archived from the original on 2025-07-31. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  7. ↑ "Xue Long 2 (9829241)". Sea-Web. S&P Global. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "China Launches Domestically-Built "Xue Long 2" Icebreaker". High North News. 11 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.