Shipyard Selection Begins for Hydrogen-Hybrid Coastal Class Research Vessel

UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to select a shipyard to perform the final design and assembly of the university’s new Coastal Class Research Vessel (CCRV), the first-ever that will run primarily on renewable fuels.

The vessel will be a dual-powered hydrogen fuel cell/diesel electric hybrid oceanographic research vessel that will be able to conduct 75% of its missions using only liquid hydrogen fuel. When operating on hydrogen, CCRV will have zero emissions and a quiet operating profile, enabling contamination-free sampling and the performance of its underwater acoustic sensors.

“The release of this solicitation marks a major milestone for the project, and follows substantial engineering and design efforts by our amazing team,” said Scripps Oceanography Associate Director Bruce Appelgate, who leads the institution’s ship operations and marine technical support. “CCRV's power and control systems involve technical innovation that significantly advances the vessel's capability relative to conventional systems. Our design is mature, and has received approvals from regulators, and we are very excited to select a shipyard so that vessel assembly can begin.”

The American Bureau of Shipping approved the preliminary design of CCRV in June 2024, and Scripps received further approval from the U.S. Coast Guard in November, an indication that the vessel is on track to meet the technical requirements and safety standards with the use of zero-emission hydrogen-powered propulsion at sea. CCRV represents a major step toward reducing air pollution and advancing California's pledge to reduce global climate risk while transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy and making progress toward the University of California’s climate action goals.

CCRV will be dedicated to California research missions to observe and measure biological, chemical, geological and physical processes including research to better understand fisheries, harmful algal blooms, severe El Niño storms, atmospheric rivers, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and oxygen depletion zones. 

The 163-foot ship will replace Scripps Research Vessel Robert Gordon Sproul, which has served thousands of University of California students in its 43 years of service but is reaching the end of its service life. After delivery and acceptance, CCRV will conduct scientific missions in the eastern Pacific as part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, serving hundreds of scientists and students each year and continuing the university’s educational mission to train the next generation of scientists, leaders and policymakers. 

CCRV represents a transformative step in decarbonizing industrial sectors like ship operations. By promoting the use of clean energy, this vessel will contribute to global efforts to combat climate change while ensuring a healthier ocean environment.

“CCRV's design involves a host of innovative technologies, from the shape of the hull to the intelligent hybrid power controls, that together will enable a far superior research vessel relative to anything that currently exists,” said Appelgate. “Our goal is to provide scientists and students with the most effective platform possible for seagoing research and observation, enabling them to continue pushing back the frontiers of knowledge.”

To learn more about the RFP or submitting proposals, please contact Lynda Ta at L2ta@ucsd.edu or Gary Oshima at gmoshima@ucsd.edu. Responses from shipyards are being accepted through May 9, 2025, with a selection anticipated by June 20, 2025. 

Construction of CCRV receives funding from the State of California, the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the Department of Energy as a priority project in the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), California’s statewide clean hydrogen hub. Sandia National Laboratories and Glosten led initial feasibility studies that were supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.