Shipyards in Vigo surpass twenty vessels under construction
Armón, Freire, Cardama, and Nodosa in Marín secure international contracts ensuring several years of sustained activity
The major shipyards in Vigo currently have more than twenty shipbuilding contracts underway. In recent weeks, new orders have come into force, guaranteeing a strong workload for the coming years. These include a fishing vessel for Armón, an oceanographic vessel for Freire, two patrol boats at Cardama, and a fishing vessel and a tugboat at Nodosa, the latter located in Marín.
Freire has just signed a contract for the construction of the "Dana V," a scientific research vessel for Denmark scheduled for delivery in 2027. Designed for polar missions in Arctic waters, it will be capable of long-distance ocean navigation and operate almost silently, enabling marine research with minimal impact. Conceived as a top-tier platform for research and education, it will serve all of Denmark’s research institutions.
The shipyard’s current portfolio includes several large-scale projects, such as a marine research vessel for Saudi Arabia, another oceanographic vessel for France, a next-generation fishing vessel for Canada, a sailing ship for Greenpeace, a luxury yacht, and a support vessel for the Spanish Navy.
Cardama has recently started work—beginning with steel cutting—on two ocean-going patrol vessels for the Uruguayan Navy, with keel-laying expected in the coming weeks. These are OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) type ships, each 86 meters in length, with a total contract value exceeding €82 million. It represents the largest contract in the company's more than 100-year history.
Armón, along with its Ría de Vigo subsidiary (formerly Barreras), currently has around ten ships under construction. This number will soon grow with the addition of a hybrid longliner fishing vessel for the Marín-based company Veraguas Lar. These two shipyards are working on a patrol boat for the Guardia Civil, an offshore vessel for the UK, a ferry for French Polynesia, three oceanographic vessels for Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Azores, a fishing vessel for Argentina, and two military vessels for Sweden.
Nodosa recently secured two new contracts. One is for a trawler fishing vessel for the Argentine company Pesantar—partially owned by Vigo-based Profand—measuring 85 meters in length and intended for Patagonian toothfish fishing. The other is a tugboat for the company Amare Marín.
Source: Atlántico Diario