Damen Shipyards Group held a joint steel cutting and keel laying ceremony at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania, according to the company's release.
The contract for the ship was signed by the two parties in November last year following a tender process. The project is funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) that is part of NextGenerationEU (the economic recovery package to support EU member states affected by the COVID-19 pandemic).
The Multi-Purpose Ship forms part of Damen’s Support Ship range. The range, spanning 7000-9000 tons, applies proven, standard solutions where possible to ensure fast, reliable and cost-effective construction.
The ship, the NRP Dom João II, offers unrivalled versatility, with capabilities spanning scientific and technological research, search & rescue, emergency relief, as well as maritime safety and environmental & meteorological monitoring. In acknowledgement of the growing importance of drones and autonomous technology in emergency relief and surveillance, the Multi-Purpose Ship is capable of transporting and launching Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). For the latter, this includes a 94 x 11 metre flight deck.
The 107-metre vessel features 650m2 deck space, suitable for the transportation of up to twelve TEUs. These can be used to house mission-specific modular systems such as hospitals, hyperbaric chambers and ROV equipment, as required. To facilitate oceanic exploration and research, the Multi-Purpose Ship will feature both state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and accommodation for scientific personnel.
NRP Dom João II is scheduled for delivery in year 2026, whereupon she will join two other Damen-built vessels, the 122-metre-long NRP Bartolomeu Dias and NRP D. Francisco de Almeida.