Chancellor George Osborne in a speech on Friday is going to make an announcement about £200m investment for an icebreaker. The ship would be one of the biggest and most capable polar research vessels in the world.

The ship, which will start working in 2019, is likely to be 130m long and to sport a helipad, cranes, onboard labs and facility to deploy subs and other ocean-survey gear. Money to build the vessel would come from the government's capital investment for science.

"Backing British science, supporting businesses seeking to grow off the back of it and protecting investment in it is a central part of our long-term economic plan", said Osborne who believes that science is a launch pad for economic prosperity.

A proper case was presented to the government and has been accepted as well to make fleet more advanced if nation's science level was to remain competitive. An early design for the ship has been made, but would require to be finessed.

For now, it is not known as where the ship would be made. Thinking the scale of the investment, a home shipyard would be a preferred choice. Following are the features that the new polar ship promises to be like-

1. Having length of 130 m and a breadth of 25m.
2. Gross tonnage to about 13,000 tonnes.
3. Self sufficient to operate for up to 80 days.
4. Cargo volume to be around 4,200 cu metres.
5. Ability to launch aerial and ocean robotic systems
6. Up to 60 scientists and support staff could live on board.
7. Power to break through 2m-thick floes.

The UK already has two polar ships, the Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Clark Ross and the RRS Ernest Shackleton. Former was built in 1990 and the latter in 1995. It was even said the novel ship would replace two ageing vessels.

But the Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc) that funds polar science in the UK, such is not the current plan.