Inkfish has placed a nearly €700 million order with Vard for a new deep-sea research vessel based on the VARD 9 42 design.
The vessel, named RV11000, will be built for global scientific exploration and will strengthen Inkfish’s research fleet alongside RV Hydra, RV Dagon, and the RV6000 newbuild.
The project was developed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway, together with Inkfish and technical partner YTMC, with support from the Fincantieri Group.
RV11000 will measure 162 m in length and 28 m in beam. According to Vard, the vessel will be equipped with the largest battery installation ever fitted on a ship, allowing up to 12 hours of silent scientific submersible operations.
The vessel is designed for seabed mapping, coring work, submarine handling and support, and ROV operations at depths of up to 11,000 m. It will accommodate 130 crew members and scientists, mainly in single cabins, with offices, laboratories, workshops, and shared facilities arranged onboard.
The hull will be built at Vard Shipyards Romania – Tulcea. Outfitting, commissioning, and delivery will take place at one of Vard’s Norwegian yards. Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2030.
