Contract signed to build new Antarctic Support Vessel for the Brazilian Navy

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) will receive, by the end of 2025, a new ship to support operations in Antarctica.

The contract has been signed at the Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro between the state-owned Empresa Gerencial de Projetos Navais (EMGEPRON) and Polar 1 Construção Naval SPE Ltda., a Special Purpose Company formed by Estaleiro Jurong Aracruz Ltda. and SembCorp Marine Specialized Shipbuilding (SMSS) PTE. LTDA

The Antarctic Support Vessel (NApAnt), based on the Australian “RV Investigator”, will have a length of 93.9 meters, a beam of 18.5 meters, a draft of six meters, and autonomy of 70 days.

The ship will have a crew of 95 people with diesel-electric propulsion, including 26 researchers. Its construction is expected to generate 500 to 600 direct jobs and 6,000 indirect jobs, in addition to promoting the Brazilian naval industry and the national technological base.

The new Brazilian Navy vessel will replace and develop the same missions as the Oceanographic Support Vessel “Ary Rongel”, although with improved capabilities based on the experience in the Antarctic Program/ PROANTAR and the support requirements for the new Antarctic Station Comandante Ferraz (EACF).

The contract calls for the construction, in Brazilian territory, of a vessel capable of operating in summer and autumn on the Antarctic Continent and capable of navigating both among the most recent ice formations and on the older plates, which present greater resistance. The NApAnt will be built at the facilities of the Estaleiro Jurong-Aracruz (EJA) group, located in the State of Espírito Santo.

The purpose is to build a vessel capable of navigating on-ice extensions. To do so, it needs to have a specifically shaped and reinforced hull, especially in its bow, to open the way and break the ice sheets, taking advantage of the ship’s own weight and, sometimes, the turbulence caused by its propellers.

To obtain the NApAnt, EMGEPRON capitalized approximately US$140 million. The investment involves purchasing scientific equipment and systems, life cycle management plans, and logistical support for the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR). The engineering, procurement, and construction scope will be carried out by the EJA shipyard, with the transfer of knowledge and experience of SMSS in the construction of a similar vessel in Singapore.

Among the benefits expected from the incorporation of the vessel is the reduction of the time required for fueling the Station, the incorporation of modern cranes, and a more significant loading and maneuvering capacity of the new vessel.

The sophisticated navigation and control system, will allow greater safety in the ship’s approach to the beach, for the landing of material and personnel and leads to greater capacity to support research activities, with the possibility of setting up camps, allowing the expansion of the area that can be visited by researchers, including oceanic and terrestrial regions.