The new vessel is now expected in November this year to wrap up in Hobart and will conduct its first Antarctic journey in January 2021.

The Australian Antarctic Division announced that it has contingency plans in place for the 2020-21 Antarctic summer season to undertake additional shipping capability to resupply the station.

Building of the ship at Damen Shipyards in Romania started in May 2017 with a steel cutting ceremony, while the first building block of the ship was assembled in the drydock during a keel laying ceremony in August.

The ship was floated from the dry dock to the wet dock in September 2018, for the next building phase.

Maritime Business World