Two new oceanic research vessels commissioned by the science ministry are set to be handed over from the shipyard later this month.
The vessels were completed and passed inspection this summer.
A third, larger research vessel designed to carry a wider, heavier range of instruments and surveying equipment is set to be ready for handover in the first quarter of next year.
The vessels’ equipment will enable them to probe the seafloor and its geology, pick up objects buried deep under the sea, and detect undercurrents in the ocean that cannot be seen directly. Officials have hailed the vessels’ construction as a great boost to Taiwan’s ability to explore the seas.