Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has confirmed a contract has been awarded to Spanish shipyard Astilleros Armon Vigo SA for the construction of a new research vessel contracted to complete in February 2027.
The state-of-the-art marine research vessel is a significant capital investment by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to strengthen and support marine science in Northern Ireland for the next 30 years.
A detailed design phase was completed by Norwegian naval architects Skipsteknisk AS.
The new 52.8-metre vessel will replace AFBI’s current 35-year-old research vessel RV Corystes, operating out of the Port of Belfast, which is reaching the end of its working life. The replacement vessel will be able to spend 21 days at sea and be operational at sea for 300 days a year; allowing AFBI to continue and enhance its integrated marine science programme in Northern Ireland’s coastal waters, the Irish Sea and adjacent waters.
The new vessel will support Northern Ireland in addressing the key research challenges around the long-term sustainable management of fisheries, marine environmental health, marine conservation and marine spatial planning. There will also be benefits in areas such as marine tourism, renewable energy, environmental monitoring as part of the UK climate change monitoring network, and aquaculture. The ship is also pivotal in providing an emergency response service for marine pollution incidents.
It will be the first hybrid vessel within the regional research vessel fleet operating from the UK and Ireland, with sufficient battery capacity to allow some operational activities to be conducted on battery power alone. It will also be equipped to operate on biofuel, supporting the pathway to net-zero.
“The new research vessel will form a critical part of the institute’s science infrastructure. It will greatly enhance AFBI’s marine environmental and fisheries research capabilities in support of government policy, researchers, our coastal communities and the public. The work which will be undertaken on the new vessel is essential for the sustainable management of our marine ecosystems and natural resources, biodiversity, and future Climate Action Plans,” AFBI CEO Dr Stanley McDowell said.
Pieter-Jan Schön, AFBI Director of Environment and Marine Science, said the project represents a momentous change since the research vessel-based science programme started in Northern Ireland in the late 1980s from a converted fishing trawler RV Lough Foyle to the first purpose-built research vessel.
“When complete, our new multipurpose research vessel will incorporate the latest technologies providing a versatile platform from which a wide range of marine environmental and fisheries research can be undertaken including fisheries surveys, environmental change monitoring, seabed mapping and research on ocean processes. All of which is integral to improve our knowledge and helping scientists understand the impact of the ever-changing marine environment and rising sea levels. Crucially, the new vessel will allow for effective international collaboration and will take AFBI’s state-of-the-art research into the future,” Schön said.
