Iran’s First Oceangoing Research Vessel to Be Launched Later This Year


TEHRAN (Tasnim) –Iran’s first home-made ocean-going research vessel will be ready for lunch in a few months, an Iranian Science Ministry official said.

Vahid Ahmadi, the ministry’s deputy for research and technology, on Tuesday said construction of the vessel is 80 percent complete now.

He added that it will be launched by early October.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved significant progress in marine and shipbuilding industries in recent years and has developed several domestic and international projects.

The country’s first oceangoing ship named “Iran-Arak”, which weighs over 7000 tons and is able to carry over 30,000 tons of cargo or 2,200 TEU, was launched in 2009.

In one of its shipbuilding projects, Iran delivered the first Aframax tanker made for the Venezuelan national oil company, PDVSA, in October, 2012.

The tanker was one of the four ordered by the Venezuelan company and built by Iran Marine Industrial Company (Sadra).