Freire to Build an Oceanographic Vessel for France

Freire Shipyard has recently signed a contract with the French National Institute of Ocean Science (IFREMER) for the construction of a new vessel for the French Oceanographic Fleet. This contract marks the culmination of the public tender for the construction of an offshore research vessel (navire semi-hauturier or NSH according to the nomenclature of the published tender). IFREMER analyzed and ranked the offers from renowned international shipyards and selected Freire as the best proposal based on technical and price criteria.

The future French-flagged oceanographic vessel will have a total length of 40.30 meters and a reduced draft. The vessel will cover all disciplines of oceanography in the coastal areas of the Atlantic: geosciences and paleoclimatology, physical and biogeochemical oceanography, biological oceanography, and ecosystem functioning, from the coast to the continental shelf. It will also perform functions related to fishing on the continental shelf and will accommodate a crew of 12 people and 10 scientists, allowing for training campaigns with teachers and students on board.

The oceanographic research vessel stands out for its wide range of energy-saving technologies and low-consumption solutions implemented: from hull design, power plant design, energy distribution system, heat recovery system, thermal insulation level to air conditioning efficiency.

The diesel-electric propulsion system will combine three main variable-speed generators (suitable for operating with biodiesel), two shaft lines driven by electric motors, and a direct current electrical distribution system, which together with a battery pack will offer great performance of the power plant, consumption optimization, good redundancy, and excellent acoustic performance (not only in terms of compliance with the BV COMF 2 class notation but also with the DNV Silent-F standard). The dynamic positioning system and the electric bow thruster facilitate the vessel's maneuverability.

It will have a telescopic marine oceanographic main crane at the stern intended for launching scientific equipment (corer, buoys, etc.) and general maneuvers. Additionally, it will feature an A-type stern gantry, a T-type side gantry, and a telescopic beam for maneuvering CTD. For fishing operations, it will have two trawl winches and a removable net drum.

Photo: provided