Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine has secured a $150m newbuilding contract from the Brazilian Ministry of Defence for a replacement survey vessel.
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract will see the building of the new vessel start later this year with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
Estaleiro Jurong Aracruz (EJA), Sembcorp Marine’s shipbuilding subsidiary in Brazil, will build the vessel, which will be deployed by the Brazilian Navy for scientific research deployment in the Antarctic.
The project is being carried out by the EJA yard to comply with the requirement of local content, but will use resources from across the Sembcorp Marine global network.
Measuring 93.9 metres in length, 18.5 metres in width and weighing about 5,800 tonnes with a draught of six metres, the vessel will be built to navigational ice field standards, classified as P-6.
Sembcorp Marine said the ship is expected to add a new operative dimension to the Brazilian Antarctic Programme.
“This is a strategic project for the yard, enabling EJA to leverage the group’s domain knowledge, expert capabilities in EPC and project integration, as well as EJA’s capabilities to undertake solutions for Polar Class (DP2) vessels,” EJA president Guhan Thangavelu said.
Admiral Jose Augusto Vieira Da Cunha De Menezes, general director of material of the Brazilian Navy, said: “The acquisition of the new Antarctic support ship by the Brazilian Navy is of strategic importance for the country, thus providing the maintenance of the Brazilian presence in the Antarctic continent and the continuity of the scientific research that has been carried out at the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station.”
On completion, the newbuilding will replace Brazil’s ocean support vessel Ary Rongel, which is said to be approaching the end of its life cycle.
The Ary Rongel was built in 1981 in Norway by Rieber Shipping, at the Hoylandsdygo-George Ei Des Sonner A/S shipyards and initially named Polar Queen.
In addition to Brazil, Sembcorp Marine operates shipyards and other facilities in Singapore, Indonesia, the UK and Norway.
