90-m New Oceanographic will become the largest in Spain

The tender will be submitted in the next few days and must be resolved in the first half of 2020

The new oceanographic vessel for the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) will become the largest of the entire Spanish research fleet by reaching 90 meters in length. Sources from the European Commission explained that the announcement of such investment of 68.3 million euros by the European Regional Development Fund (Feder) implies the project approval and that "now the tender process must begin."

According to the same sources, the winner shipyard "will be responsible for the process until the ship is delivered," but the IEO will oversee the process. The main Galician shipyards are already being prepared for this project, especially those that have more experience in this type of ships such as Freire Shipyard and Armón Vigo.

Specifically, from Brussels they reported that the ship will have a length of "about 80-90 meters", with a crew of 26 people and a capacity to house up to 40 researchers and technicians with whom to stay up to 45 consecutive days at sea.

Up to now, the largest research vessel in Spain is the Hesperides with its 82.5 meters in length. It was built in Bazán (today Navantia) in 1991 and belongs to the Navy.

(Source: Faro de Vigo)