Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, helps mark the 22nd anniversary of the Prince Madog Research Vessel.
Mr Rowlands, recently joined fellow MSs, Darren Millar and Mark Isherwood at Bangor University’s Marine Centre for Wales in Menai Bridge, followed by a tour around the Prince Madog.
He said:
Bangor University is a leading provider of ocean sciences, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Marine Centre for Wales and talk with professors who teach in this excellent facility.
It was also great to be shown around the Prince Madog, a state of the art purpose built research vessel which has been in service for the past 22 years.
It is an amazing research vessel which enables both students and world--leading marine scientists to study the biology, chemistry, geology and physics of our seas. We are so lucky to have such a resource at work here in North Wales.
Clwyd West MS, Darren Millar said:
I was delighted to tour the Prince Madog and visit the Marine Centre to hear more about the cutting edge marine research based here in North Wales. There are huge opportunities for the blue economy in North Wales and Bangor University’s research will help us to realise these.
I was pleased to hear about the joint venture between the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University and OS Energy, working towards making the research vessel net zero.
North Wales MS Mark Isherwood said:
Prince Madog is a real success story and no doubt the envy of other university departments in the UK who also use the vessel as a teaching platform. It is a great facility for training the next generation of marine scientists.
The MSs met with Shelagh Malham – Professor in Marine Biology and Dean of College Research; John Turner – Professor in Marine Biology and Head of Ocean Sciences; Paul Spencer – Pro Vice Chancellor and Chris Drew – Head of Strategic Partnerships and Projects.
During the visit the politicians were told about how the Prince Madog was commissioned by Bangor University using a £3.5 million Joint Infrastructure Fund grant and is managed and operated by OS Energy.
The research vessel is used to provide real world training to students as well as world class research including feasibility and impact studies on the installation of renewable energy installations (tidal and wind). It also works with fisheries on becoming more sustainable, seabed mapping and trawling impacts.
Currently the university and OS Energy is now working towards making the research vessel net zero by refitting to a hybrid hydrogen system and developing a new propellor profile. This will help in the design process of the new vessel which is due in approximately 2030.
Sam Rowlands AS yn ymweld â’r llong ymchwil Prince Madog ym Mhorthaethwy
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o'r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, yn helpu i ddathlu 22 mlynedd ers lansio’r llong ymchwil Prince Madog.
Yn ddiweddar, ymunodd Mr Rowlands â'i gyd-aelodau o’r Senedd, Darren Millar a Mark Isherwood yng Nghanolfan Forol Cymru Prifysgol Bangor ym Mhorthaethwy, ac yna am daith o amgylch y Prince Madog.
Meddai:
Mae Prifysgol Bangor yn ddarparwr gwyddorau morol blaenllaw, ac roeddwn i'n falch iawn o gael y cyfle i ymweld â Chanolfan Forol Cymru a siarad ag athrawon sy'n addysgu yn y cyfleuster rhagorol hwn.
Roedd yn wych cael cyfle i weld y Prince Madog hefyd, sy’n llong ymchwil bwrpasol o'r radd flaenaf sydd wedi bod yn gweithredu ers dwy flynedd ar hugain.
Mae'n llong ymchwil anhygoel sy'n galluogi myfyrwyr a gwyddonwyr morol heb eu hail i astudio bioleg, cemeg, daeareg a ffiseg ein moroedd. Rydyn ni mor lwcus bod gennym adnodd o'r fath ar waith yma yn y Gogledd.
Dywedodd Darren Millar, yr AS dros Orllewin Clwyd:
Roeddwn i'n falch iawn o fynd ar daith o amgylch y Prince Madog ac ymweld â'r Ganolfan Forol i glywed mwy am yr ymchwil forol arloesol sy'n digwydd yma yn y Gogledd. Mae cyfleoedd enfawr i'r economi las yn y Gogledd a bydd ymchwil Prifysgol Bangor yn ein helpu i’w gwireddu.
Roeddwn i'n falch o glywed am y fenter ar y cyd rhwng yr Ysgol Gwyddorau Eigion ym Mhrifysgol Bangor ac OS Energy, sy’n gweithio tuag at wneud y llong ymchwil yn sero net.
Dywedodd yr AS dros Ogledd Cymru, Mark Isherwood:
Mae'r Prince Madog yn stori lwyddiant go iawn sydd, heb os, yn destun eiddigedd ymhlith adrannau prifysgol eraill yn y DU sy’n defnyddio'r llong fel platfform addysgu hefyd. Mae'n gyfleuster gwych ar gyfer hyfforddi'r genhedlaeth nesaf o wyddonwyr morol.
Cyfarfu Aelodau'r Senedd â Shelagh Malham – Athro mewn Bioleg Forol a Deon Ymchwil y Coleg; John Turner – Athro mewn Bioleg Forol a Phennaeth Gwyddorau Eigion; Paul Spencer – Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor a Chris Drew – Pennaeth Partneriaethau a Phrosiectau Strategol.
Yn ystod yr ymweliad, dywedwyd wrth y gwleidyddion sut y comisiynwyd y Prince Madog gan Brifysgol Bangor gan ddefnyddio grant Cronfa Seilwaith ar y Cyd gwerth £3.5 miliwn a sut mae'n cael ei rheoli a'i gweithredu gan OS Energy.
Defnyddir y llong ymchwil i ddarparu hyfforddiant byd go iawn i fyfyrwyr, yn ogystal ag ymchwil o'r radd flaenaf gan gynnwys astudiaethau dichonoldeb ac effaith ar osod gosodiadau ynni adnewyddadwy (llanw a gwynt). Mae’n gweithio gyda physgodfeydd hefyd ar ddod yn fwy cynaliadwy, mapio gwely'r môr ac effeithiau treillrwydo.
Ar hyn o bryd, mae'r brifysgol ac OS Energy yn gweithio tuag at wneud y llong ymchwil yn sero net drwy ôl-osod system hydrogen hybrid a datblygu proffil llafn gwthio newydd. Bydd hyn yn helpu gyda'r broses o ddylunio'r llong newydd y disgwylir iddi gael ei lansio tua 2030.
