''REV Ocean'' is a privately funded research and expedition vessel (REV) under construction by

VARD Fincantieri S.p.A. () is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, after the acquisition of Vard in 2013, Fincantieri group doubled in size to become the fourth largest in the world (2014 ...

shipyards. Some sources describe her as a

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

, but unlike a yacht, her main purpose is not recreation or sports. She is in length and displaces 17,440 gross tons.

Design and construction

''REV Ocean'' was designed by Espen Øino with an interior by H2 Yacht Design. It was initially intended to be a 140 m

superyacht A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from to ...

with some research facilities, but during the design process she grew in size and was turned into a research and expedition vessel with a yacht-like exterior and high standards of comfort and design, including a luxury accommodation. Contracts for construction and outfitting were signed in 2017, with an expected delivery in 2021. On June 17, 2021 it was announced that delivery was moved up to 2024. The hull was built and equipped with the diesel-electric propulsion system in

Tulcea Tulcea (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 73,707 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. Names Th ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, and initially launched on 24 August 2019. She was then towed to

Brattvåg Brattvåg is a village in Ålesund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the Norwegian mainland, along the west side of the Samfjorden. It is located about northwest of the villages of Vatne, Møre og Romsdal, ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, where she is currently fitted out with more technology. Final interior outfit is planned to happen at

Lloyd Werft Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH is a dockyard in Bremerhaven. It was founded in 1863 by the shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd, first mainly used as a repair workshop for the company’s own merchant fleet. This new yard was established in ...

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Owner and operation

''REV Ocean'' is the flagship of Norwegian

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businessman

Kjell Inge Røkke Kjell Inge Røkke (born 25 October 1958) is a Norwegian billionaire businessman. Røkke launched his business career with the purchase of a trawler in the United States in 1982, and gradually built a leading worldwide fisheries business. In 1 ...

's REV Ocean initiative. In an interview with the Norwegian newspaper ''

Aftenposten ( in the masthead; ; Norwegian for "The Evening Post") is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen) and estimated 1.2 million ...

'' (published 1 May 2017) Røkke said he planned to give away most of his fortune. As a further step in this plan he joined the

Giving Pledge The Giving Pledge is a campaign to encourage extremely wealthy people to contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. , the pledge has 236 signatories from 28 countries. Most of the signatories of the pledge are billionaires, a ...

in 2017, and founded the ''REV Ocean initiative''. Led by former WWF Norway CEO Nina Jensen, REV Ocean is working to improve understanding of the ocean and foster concrete solutions through three initiatives: the world's largest research and expedition vessel (REV), the World Ocean Headquarters and an open, global data platform. She is purpose built for scientific charter and environmental research missions. Her TIER III hybrid propulsion allows a full-electric mode at eleven knots when the yacht collects samples. Her total operating range is 21,000 nautical miles.

References

{{Reflist Motor yachts Research vessels