A Chinese operator has taken delivery of a large survey catamaran while construction continues on a Canadian Coast Guard heavy icebreaker and a research ship for a US-based organisation. A Dutch owner has placed an order for a shallow-draught multi-role vessel.
Vard Shipyards Romania recently laid the keel of a new research vessel ordered by US-based research organisation Inkfish.
The vessel's hull will be built in Romania while final outfitting and commissioning will take place at Vard Søviknes in Norway. Delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2028.
The vessel will have a length of 100 metres, a beam of 20.7 metres, and a maximum speed of 15 knots. It will be capable of seafloor mapping, submersible support, and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations.
Helsinki Shipyard in Finland has laid the keel of the future CCGS Arpatuuq, the first in a new class of heavy polar icebreakers being built for the Canadian Coast Guard.
The vessel is being constructed for the Canadian Coast Guard under an industrial collaboration between Canadian-controlled facilities in Helsinki, Finland and Lévis, Canada. Construction on the vessel's hull is now underway at Helsinki Shipyard.
The largest proportion of the work on the vessel, and delivery of the ship to the Canadian Coast Guard, will be from Chantier Davie’s home facility in Lévis, which is simultaneously undergoing a CA$840 million (US$600 million) upgrade.
Fincantieri Group subsidiary Vard has secured a contract with US-based research group Inkfish to design and build a deep-sea research vessel valued at nearly €700 million ($815 million).
This agreement represents the largest single-vessel contract ever awarded to the shipbuilder, as well as the largest order of its kind for any Norwegian shipyard.
The vessel, codenamed RV11000, will measure 162 metres in length with a beam of 28 metres. The shipbuilder is scheduled to deliver the vessel during the first quarter of 2030.
This vessel builds on the engineering foundations of the RV6000, which Vard contracted in 2025 and is currently constructing for the same customer.
Rotterdam-based marine services provider Protunus has placed an order for a new shallow-draught workboat that will support both in-house operations and international charter activities.
The 27-metre vessel, which will be named Protunus, is already under construction and is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Protunus selected the vessel based on the versatility that the series of vessels offered within the offshore and maritime support market.
China's Taizhou Shipbuilding Enterprises has launched a new catamaran vessel to be used for surveys in support of the offshore energy industry.
Qiaoyuan (桥苑号) was designed by the Bridge Survey and Design Institute of China Railway Construction Corporation. According to Chinese media, she is the largest survey vessel by tonnage to be built in China.
Upon completion, Qiaoyuan will have a length of 76.36 metres, a displacement of 2,537 tons, accommodation for up to 36 crewmembers, and an endurance of 60 days.