Building fisheries research vessel
STX Finland Oy and Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia have,on 11.2.2011, signed a contract for the construction of a fisheries research vessel. The ship, witha contract value of approximately EUR 35 million, will bring some 250 man-years of labour to STXFinland’s Rauma shipyard, with delivery scheduled for spring 2012. This versatile specializedvessel will be approximately 62 metres long and will provide accommodation for 45 crewmembers and research personnel.
Denne artikkelen er tre år eller eldre.
The modern and innovative research vessel is specifically designed for the purposes of Namibian
fisheries research. The vessel meets the latest standards set for this type of vessels requiring, in
particular, special care in the design of laboratory equipment, propulsion and power generation system.
The vessel also has very high overall technical standards and special attention has been given to the
vessel’s serviceability and low maintenance costs. Furthermore, the ship features a dynamic positioning
system and it is operational in any African sea and weather condition in all seasons with no restrictions.
The tasks of the research vessel include monitoring of fish stock, as well as sorting, processing, freezing
and storage of fish. The multi-purpose specialized vessel will also be used for collecting biological
samples for seabed research and analysis and provide assistance for control of fishing. The vessel also
features facilities for meteorological research.
–This order is very important for STX Rauma shipyard. The contract now signed shows that the shipyard
has succeeded very well in its long-term research and development efforts focused on specialized
vessels, says Timo Suistio, Director of STX Rauma shipyard. –The R&D will continue with the
construction of the research vessel now ordered by Namibia. In the design we can apply the same
technologies as in the icebreaker for research purposes ordered by the South African Department of
Environmental Affairs, to be delivered in 2012, since the two vessels, to a certain extent, carry out similar
tasks and use the same kind of equipment. In the case of the fisheries research vessel, the areas for
further development include enhanced hydroaccoustic characteristics and hull protection techniques,
Suistio says.
The support of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Embassy in Windhoek were of crucial
importance in the promotion of this project and in realizing the ship contract. The co-operation between
the parties involved has been excellent.
