Following a tender notice published last year, Indonesia has selected the French shipbuilder Piriou to design and build its two new research vessels. The procurement of the two vessels is being led by Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), intended to support the country’s deep-sea research ambitions. With Indonesia as the largest archipelago in the world and three-quarters of the country’s territory consisting of oceans or seas, marine research is a critical pillar for national development.
However, Indonesia’s massive blue economy is increasingly threated by human activities and climate change. Indonesian marine natural resources are generally poorly documented and studied, with the country having low oceanographic research capabilities. It is in this context that BRIN made the order for the two research vessels. The order was officially signed on June 11, and both vessels will be built by Piriou Vietnam.
The order comprises a multi mission ocean-going research vessel (ORV) and a coastal research vessel (CRV). The ORV will support Indonesia’s marine scientific research in the deep sea, including sediment analysis, marine geology and ocean and climate observation. The ORV will be 75 meters long and have a gross tonnage of about 3,700 GT. It will have capacity for 46 people.
The CRV will support regional coastal missions along river estuaries, bays and the continental shelf. The vessel will be 30 meters long, and will have a gross tonnage of approximately 290 GT and capacity for 12 people. To support advanced marine research, both vessels will be equipped with modern scientific systems including a multibeam bathymetric survey equipment. In addition, the vessels will feature the latest acoustic positioning system to enable deployment and positioning of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
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“The vessels will make a significant contribution by providing essential data and information for national priority sectors,” said Arif Satria, Head of BRIN.
The acquisition of the two vessels is made through the KrisNA project, financed by the French development agency AFD to the tune of $102 million. Besides the research vessels, AFD is also supporting modernization of four Indonesian fishing ports through a $114 million loan.