A new research vessel built for the French oceanographic fleet operated for the National Science Community by the French national Institute of Ocean Sciences (IFREMER) has been launched at the Freire Shipyard celebrated in Vigo, Spain.

The oceanographic vessel was named Anita Conti in honor of France’s first woman oceanographer, as a tribute to her pioneering legacy in the exploration and study of the sea.

Designed to replace the vessel Thalia, the Anita Conti will fully integrate the French Oceanographic Fleet in 2026. It will be capable of operating advanced underwater vehicles such as AsterX, IdefX, UlyX and Ariane.

The French-flagged oceanographic vessel will have an overall length of 45 meters and a beam of 11.5 meters. It has been designed to carry out research missions in coastal areas in mainland French waters (Bay of Biscay, Channel) but may also be deployed in certain years on the coast of Africa and in the Antilles and French West Indies-Guyana zone. It will house a crew of 12 people and 10 scientists.

The Anita Conti stands out for the wide range of energy-saving technologies and low-consumption solutions implemented – from the design of the hull, the design of the electrical plant, the energy distribution system, the heat recovery system, the level of thermal insulation to the efficiency of the air conditioning.

The diesel-electric propulsion system will be composed of three variable-speed, biodiesel-compatible generator sets feeding two shaft lines driven by electric motors and a direct current (DC) electrical distribution system. This set, together with a battery pack, will enable very good energy efficiency, optimization of consumption, operational redundancy and compliance with acoustic requirements according to BV COMF 2 class notation and DNV SILENT-F standard.

The dynamic positioning system and the electric bow thruster improve the vessel’s manoeuvrability.

Anita Conti will be equipped with a gondola under the hull housing all the acoustic transducers that will enable it to explore and map the seabed and water column. It also has laboratories and a scientific PC.

The vessel will feature an oceanographic marine telescopic main crane at the stern for marine use for launching and retrieval of scientific equipment and general maneuvering at the stern of the vessel. In addition, it will have an A-type stern gantry, a T-type side gantry. For scientific fishing operations, this vessel will also have two trawling winches and a removable net drum.

“The Anita Conti represents a decisive step towards a more modern, multipurpose and environmentally friendly scientific fleet, reinforcing our operational capabilities”, said Olivier Lefort, Director of the French Oceanographic Fleet.