The half-billion-dollar HMNZS Aotearoa is due after sailing from South Korea where it was constructed.

The ship is a replacement for HMNZS Endeavour, a fleet tanker which was decommissioned in 2017 after three decades of service.

The 24,000 tonne Aotearoa will be used to support NZDF operations and for humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

The ship can carry up to 22 twenty-foot containers and has high capacity generation plants to make 100 tonnes of fresh water a day.

It comes with a promise it can go anywhere in the world and that it will be an important part of Antarctic operations and monitoring in the Southern Ocean.

It has twice the displacement of the Endeavour and can carry almost a third more fuel.

The ship is also classed as an “Environship” which means it has a wave-piercing hull to cut resistance and fuel use.

It also puts out lower emissions compared with older ships.

There are 39 people on board from the ship’s maker, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and 10 from the NZDF and Ministry of Defence.

They all received a negative Covid-19 test before being allowed to leave South Korea and will be tested again before being allowed to mix with others once the ship berths in Auckland.

Those on board will have effectively been in isolation for 16 days.

Defence Minister Ron Mark said while most work has been done in South Korea, final testing of specialised military systems will be done here.

“Since the first steel was cut in 2018 everyone involved in her build, testing and sea trials have never lost sight of this moment and it is worth celebrating,” he said.