In addition to the shipbuilding giants Ecovix and Wilson Sons, now two new national shipyards are also targeting the construction project of the ship that will support the base of the Brazilian Navy in Antarctica

Many Brazilian shipyards are seeking partnerships to participate in the bidding process for shipbuilding do NApAnt for the Brazilian Navy. According to Portos e Navios magazine, both the Atlântico Sul Shipyard, located in Pernambuco, and the Mauá shipyard, in Rio de Janeiro, are studying the possibility of forming a consortium to participate in the bid for the vessel.

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Last year, the Navy launched a market survey on the possibility of building the NApAnt, a vessel that will replace the Oceanographic Support Vessel Ary Rongel. The delivery of proposals should take place by the end of this year and the final announcement of the winner in mid-2021.

The Brazilian Ecovix, owner of the shipyard in Rio Grande, teamed up with the Chilean state-owned company Asmar to participate in the tender. Wilson Sons also signed a partnership with the Dutch company Damen to compete in the process and carry out the construction of the ship at the Wilson Sons shipyards in Guarujá, in São Paulo.

The NApAnt vessel will have sufficient capacity to provide logistical support to the Antarctic continent, meeting the specific requirements of shipbuilding requested, transporting a significant volume of cargo and equipment, in addition to housing modern scientific laboratories, with comfort and safety for its crew. More details about the request can be found at Official Gazette of the Union here.

The project of the ship NApAnt of the Brazilian Navy

The new Brazilian station in Antarctica, Comandante Ferraz, was reopened on January 15 of this year supported by Petrobras Through the Brazilian Antártico Program (Proantar) and operated by the Brazilian Navy, the installation is intended for scientific research in the environmental, meteorological, biodiversity and chemical areas, and today it is a reality.

The project for the construction of NApAnt aims at providing integrated logistical and maintenance support to logistically support Proantar, contributing to the safety of navigation in the Antarctic region through hydrographic surveys.

The Navy points out that the new ship seeks modernity in logistical terms with increased capacity and reduced crew, which favors the embarkation of researchers. The NApAnt vessel will be able to transport helicopters in a protected environment and will have adequate autonomy for its purpose.