Kongsberg Maritime continues to strengthen its position in the Hydrographic market in South America following the award of two high-profile contracts with the Hydrographic Office of the Brazilian Navy and INOCAR, the Hydrographic Office of the Ecuadorian Navy, in the first quarter of 2009.
Brazil
The Brazilian Navy Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation (DHN) has acquired a former Norwegian trawler that has been converted in Germany to become its new polar research vessel. Kongsberg Maritime has been given the order for all survey equipment to be installed onboard, including an EM 302 Multibeam Echo Sounder, SBP 300 Sub Bottom Profiler, EA 600 Single Beam Echo Sounder, external sensors, services and training. The total value of the order is approximately 10 MNOK.
In 2008 the Brazilian Navy Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation (DHN) signed a contract for their first EM 302 Multibeam Echo Sounder which will be installed onboard their Hydrographic Ship "NHi Sirius". Both installations will take place during July and August 2009.
Ecuador
Additionally, INOCAR, the Hydrographic Office of the Ecuadorian Navy has awarded a contract to Kongsberg Maritime for survey equipment for its survey/research vessel BAE Orion. The equipment package consists of an EM 302 Multibeam Echo Sounder, EM 2000 Multibeam Echo Sounder, external sensors, services and training. The installation will take place in Guayaquil in June 2009. One of the first tasks of BAE Orion is to survey Ecuador's Exclusive Economic Zone, and her first mission will be to map the sea around the Galapagos Islands.
Chile
"These new developments are a result of our determination and active approach towards South America over the past 6-7 years," comments Jan Haug Kristensen, Sales Manager, Kongsberg Maritime's Subsea department. "These contracts follow last year's big contract for the supply of a complete acoustic equipment package for a new Chilean research vessel, the MEDUSA project. Our key clients in this region include hydrographic offices, universities and research institutions as well as commercial survey companies."
Kongsberg Maritime is a technology and market leader in hydrography, offering a complete range of single and multibeam systems for all subsea applications. Recent developments include the launch of the new EM 2040, the world's first true wide band high resolution multibeam Echo Sounder.