New Zealand seafood company Sanford has signed a contract with Netherlands-based shipbuilder Damen Maaskant for the design and construction of a new hybrid-powered scampi vessel for operation in the Southern Ocean.

The vessel will contribute to Sanford’s goal of reducing the carbon footprint from its direct operations by 25 percent between 2020 and 2030.

Sanford CEO Peter Reidie said the introduction of the vessel is a "major step forward" in resilient vessel design, giving the company the ability to fish in more challenging conditions.