MacGregor has secured significant orders to deliver advanced deck cranes, handling equipment, and deck machinery for four new oceanographic research vessels. The orders were booked into MacGregor’s second and third quarter 2026 order intake, with equipment deliveries starting in 2027 and scheduled to complete by the third quarter of 2029 at the latest.
Two of the vessels will be built at the GONDAN Shipbuilders in Spain for the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). The remaining two will be constructed at Titagarh Naval Systems Limited in India for the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
Research vessels are vital for studying the oceans, tracking climate change and monitoring marine biodiversity up close. Operating in harsh marine environments requires exceptionally reliable equipment and technical solutions.
MacGregor's success in securing these contracts is a direct result of its extensive expertise and proven track record from previous deliveries. Close cooperation with the shipyards and designers throughout the developmental phases of these projects has further proven that MacGregor is a trusted, long-term partner capable of delivering high-performance solutions for complex maritime missions.
The scope of supply for the four vessels includes CTD single line winches, wire winches, oceanographic winches, corer winches, survey boat davits, CTD davits, deck cranes, stern A-frames, ROV telescope booms, and corer handling systems with corer cradle.
“For the complex BSH research vessels, we required a trusted and reliable supplier. MacGregor’s proven track record in manufacturing high-performance deck machinery made them the right choice for this project,” says Fernando González, Purchase Manager, GONDAN Shipbuilders.
“In MacGregor, we have found an experienced manufacturer and supplier of scientific hoists and winches. This ensures a consistent operating philosophy on the new vessels. Furthermore, the systems are characterised by their robustness and trouble-free operation,” says Kai Twest, Head of Shipping Company, German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency.
“MacGregor brings proven expertise in marine handling systems, particularly for oceanographic and research vessel applications. Their track record in delivering integrated deck machinery for scientific vessels worldwide, combined with their engineering capability to customise winches, A-frames and cranes to the specific operational profile of the vessel, made them a natural fit for our Coastal Research Vessel vessel project,” says Cmd. Sanjay Chopra, Titagarh Naval Systems Limited.
“MacGregor has a good reputation as a marine scientific solution provider with positive feedback from existing users, so collaboration with MacGregor will help GSI meet its scientific objectives for these new CRV Vessels,” says Geological Survey of India.
“Research vessels are central to oceanographic research, providing vital data for fields like climate science and marine biology. We are happy to see the trust placed in us to deliver this crucial equipment for the success of future operations by both BSH and GSI,” says Tomas Hakala, Executive Vice President, Global Services at MacGregor.
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