Marco Polo Marine bags landmark $198m contract for Taiwan research vessel

The 4,000 GT vessel will be constructed at MPM’s shipyard in Batam, Indonesia.

Marco Polo Marine Ltd. (MPM) secured a landmark $198m contract from Taiwan's National Academy of Marine Research for the design and construction of a 4,000 GT oceanographic research vessel.

It is the largest project in Marco Polo Shipyard’s history. The vessel will be made for the National Academy of Marine Research, a research institute under the Ocean Affairs Council of Taiwan.

The project is estimated to have a timeline of four years at MPM’s shipyard in Batam, Indonesia, with engineering and commercial support from Singapore.

The vessel is designed by Norwegian firm Skipteknisk AS, and will feature a Dynamic Positioning System, diesel-electric propulsion, twin azimuth thrusters, battery energy storage system, and waste head recovery system, amongst others.

The research vessel is self-financed through internal cashflows with no project-specific debt required, MPM said.