The Regional Secretary for the Sea and Fisheries, Manuel São João, believes that constructing a new research vessel for the Autonomous Region of the Azores represents a new paradigm concerning the work carried out so far. “This investment represents a paradigm shift for scientific research in the Azorean seas. It means a great advance for the region and scientific knowledge, a great added value to the work carried out so far,” he said on his visit to the Armon shipyards in Vigo, where construction work is underway.

“We went to the Armon shipyards in Vigo to mark the laying of the keel of the new oceanographic ship, which is currently under construction. This ship represents a huge investment by the Autonomous Region of the Azores, and the contract is funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR),” said Manuel São João, adding that “this is a milestone, which in the context of the process of a civil construction contract, establishing a parallel with a maritime project, corresponds to the first stone.”

He continued: “We were very pleased to see that the work in progress is proceeding at a good pace, and is even well ahead of the schedule initially planned. According to the information we have been given, everything points to the ship being launched into the water in about a year’s time, continuing to be equipped and meeting the target of being delivered to the port of Horta before the end of 2025.”

The construction of the new research vessel is budgeted at around 20 million euros.

The maximum timeframe for the mobile asset’s design, construction, and delivery is 900 days, intending to provide the region with a technological platform for access to the deep sea of the central Northeast Atlantic, particularly the Archipelago’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

The ship will have a minimum capacity of 20 people for global navigation, excluding areas with ice, 10 technical crew, and 10 scientific crew. In addition, the ship will have capacity for a minimum of 30 people on daily trips.

The ship will be fitted with electronic acoustic equipment to maximize the platform’s research potential to a depth of at least five thousand meters. With a length of 45.95 meters and a beam of 10.5 meters, the ship will have an autonomy of 15 days with diesel-electric propulsion. It will include cabins corresponding to its maximum capacity, a classroom, laboratories (dry and wet), and a data center.

From an Azorean Government Press Release