The CORIOLIS as a guest in Hamburg

The Hereon research vessel has docked in Hamburg at the Hafengeburtstag on its way back from its first successful test runs on the North Sea. After watching the arrival parade on Friday from the sailing ship Rickmer Rickmers, Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President and Hamburg's First Mayor came to the CORIOLIS by a THW boat. It quickly became clear that the politicians were not only impressed by the special flair of the harbor birthday, but also by the ship.

High-ranking visitors on deck and in the labs

The ship docks in a prime location: the CORIOLIS at Hamburg's Hafengeburtstag. Photo: Hereon/ Jewgeni Roppel

"We are very proud that the Hereon now has such a great research vessel, which was also built at the Hitzler shipyard in Lauenburg in Schleswig-Holstein. I wish the ship, the crew and the people conducting research on the ship all the best at sea and many successful research results," said Daniel Günther to the media representatives.

Peter Tschentscher was enthusiastic about the ship's technology and research mission: "We have learned that electronics, chemistry, biology and physics all play a role on board and that the shipping of the future is basically being researched here, as it involves hydrogen as an energy source and research into the effects of nutrients and pollutants on the oceans - as well as microplastics in the water. These are issues that we need to address and for this we need data, data, data and scientific analysis."

The enthusiasm quickly turned into a thirst for knowledge. Among other things, the politicians were told about the use of hydrogen for propulsion and that the energy carrier of the future will be stored on board in special tanks for metal hydrides. Metal hydrides are metallic powders in which hydrogen is stored at low pressure and moderate temperatures in a space-saving and safe manner. Hereon is one of the world's leading institutions in this field of research. The CORIOLIS has a diesel-electric drive to support the hydrogen-electric drive on longer journeys. This can be powered conventionally by the diesel generator on board or electrically by the stored hydrogen. The politicians were shown how Hereon membranes can minimize nitrogen oxides from the exhaust air of the diesel generator.

The visit was rounded off with a tour of the coastal research wet laboratory, where seawater and marine organisms can be examined in detail. In the e-laboratory and the engine room at the latest, it became clear that CORIOLIS is at the cutting edge of technology and is also a pioneer of digitalization. With its measurement data, the CORIOLIS is contributing to the development of a digital twin of the North and Baltic Seas, among other things. The models will help to better understand the effects of offshore applications, technologies and other environmental factors, for example. A digital twin of the CORIOLIS hydrogen system laboratory is also to be developed.

Coastal and inland waters in view

The fact that the research vessel combines the mission of coastal exploration and the use of innovative materials research in a “floating laboratory”, making it Hereon's brand ambassador, was also the focus of the Hereon management's visit to the Hafengeburtstag. "It is of the utmost importance that shipping moves closer to the goal of climate neutrality. This is especially true for research vessels. That's why our CORIOLIS is a big and important step in the right direction," said Prof Regine Willumeit-Römer, Scientific Director at Hereon. Administrative Director Elisabeth Gerndt also emphasized the technology aspect: "The ship is of particular value to the Hereon in every respect. The range of technologies combined in the CORIOLIS is unique in the world. We are looking forward to the maiden voyage taking place soon and the CORIOLIS bringing the first research results with it."

On the second day of the Hamburg Hafengeburtstag, the CORIOLIS cast off again and made its way back to the Hitzler shipyard in Lauenburg/Elbe, where the remaining work on the ship is currently being carried out.

Cutting-edge research for a changing world

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon`s scientific research aims at preserving a world worth living in. To this end, around 1000 employees generate knowledge and research new technologies for greater resilience and sustainability - for the benefit of the climate, the coast and people. The path from idea to innovation leads through a continuous interplay between experimental studies, modeling and AI to digital twins that map the diverse parameters of climate and coast or human biology in the computer. This is an interdisciplinary approach that spans from the fundamental scientific understanding of complex systems to scenarios and practical applications. As an active member of national and international research networks and the Helmholtz Association, Hereon supports politics, business and society in shaping a sustainable future by transferring the expertise it has gained.