Japan government will provide a grant to finance the construction and supply of the first-of-its-kind diving support vessel (DSV) for the Suez Canal Authority’s fleet. The grant project, provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is valued at $22m (equivalent to approximately EGP 1 billion).
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Egypt’s minister of planning, economic development and international cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) admiral Osama Rabie, in the presence of the economic counsellor at the embassy of Japan Yusuke Suzuki.
The vessel will be deployed for multiple purposes, most notably enhancing navigational safety, towing operations, assisting vessels during manoeuvring, and strengthening rapid emergency response capabilities.
The vessel, which will be build in Japan, will measure 45 meters in length, 10 meters in width, with a draft of 4.5 meters and a total weight of 620 tons.
It will have a maximum speed of 12 knots and accommodation capacity for up to 29 personnel.
The unit features a dual-fuel engine system (diesel and natural gas) to reduce carbon emissions and ensure sustainable operations.
Also of importance is that the DSV will be equipped with advanced search and diving systems and essential equipment to support divers safely and efficiently, including two decompression chambers for diving, search, rescue, and recovery operations, as well as a waste treatment unit.
SCA chairman Rabie affirmed that the diving support vessel constitutes an unprecedented addition to the Authority’s fleet and will significantly enhance the maritime rescue team’s capabilities in diving operations, search and rescue missions, and emergency response, particularly as two rescue tugboats with a bollard pull of 190 tons are scheduled to join the fleet next year.
From her side, Al-Mashat emphasized that the agreement’s most significant aspect is its focus on enhancing the capabilities of the Suez Canal Authority, the global maritime corridor that serves approximately 12 percent of global trade.
She added that while regional tensions since October 2023 caused a significant decline in traffic, navigation activity recovered to record 8.6% growth in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025, following a peace agreement sponsored by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and a gradual return to stability in the Red Sea.
