Research vessel enters fourth phase of construction and schedule remains unchanged, highlights Mário Rui Pinho - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas

The Regional Secretary for the Sea and Fisheries, Mário Rui Pinho, valued today the construction of the Azorean research vessel, which is now entering its fourth phase on a schedule that is "up to date and without slippage."

"I leave here very pleased. Construction is proceeding according to schedule, without any delays," stressed Mário Rui Pinho.

The vessel will operate with the highest technological standards. It will be used to a greater extent than the Azores Sea, and will be a "crucial asset for the entire country," he said, speaking in Vigo, at the Armon shipyards, where the ship is being built.

The research vessel has a budget of about 20 million Euros under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) - it is estimated to arrive in the Region between the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.

The multidisciplinary scientific research vessel aims to provide the Region with a technological platform for accessing the deep sea of the central north-east Atlantic, and in particular the Exclusive Economic Zone of the archipelago.

The new research platform will have the latest technological standards in terms of capacity and equipment as well as high energy performance.

The vessel will be registered in the Portuguese Flag Register as a research vessel, with a minimum capacity of 20 people for global navigation, excluding ice zones, ten technical crew members and ten scientific crew members. In addition, it will have a capacity for a minimum of 30 people on daily voyages.

The new research vessel will operate, among other things, in areas such as seabed mapping (bathymetry based on acoustic equipment), biological prospecting and exploration of organisms with biotechnological aptitude, support for the development of offshore renewable energy production technologies and training of staff as part of the Azores Maritime School.

Among other equipment, the vessel will be fitted with electronic acoustic equipment to maximise the platform's research potential to a depth of at least five thousand metres. 

With a length of 45.95 metres and a beam of 10.5 metres, the ship will have an autonomy of 15 days, using diesel-electric propulsion. It will include cabins corresponding to its maximum capacity, a classroom, laboratories (dry and wet) and a data centre.