The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to provide the ship design for a state-of-the-art factory fishing trawler, Wärtsilä says in a press release. The vessel will be unique in having the combined capabilities of twin trawling for many different fish species, having both conventional winching as well as pumping systems for bringing the catch onboard, and being able to process fish from other vessels. The ship is to be built in Kaliningrad at the Yantar shipyard for RK named after V.I. Lenin (RK Lenina), the owner. The order with Wärtsilä was placed through its Russian entity Wärtsilä Vostok LLC and was booked in October 2018.
The 121 metres long vessel will feature a unique bow design that has undergone testing following computerised fluid dynamic calculations and simulations. The design offers enhanced performance. The ship will be part of the Russian Government’s investment programme for fleet renewal. Under a separate agreement, Wärtsilä has developed a concept that will enable the owner to apply for an extended quota for fishing in Far East waters. The ship will have more than 5000 cubic metres of storage capacity.
“Wärtsilä has a very successful track record in designing highly efficient and sustainable fishing vessels, and an impressive reference list to back it up. We have worked closely with the yard and owner to deliver a very extensive design package that meets the specific operational requirements,” says Dmitry Firsov, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Vostok.
“We have had positive collaboration with Wärtsilä during the concept development phase of the project, and we appreciate their support and technical know-how in designing this very modern fishing vessel. It demonstrates innovative thinking and will help in upgrading fishing methods, processing and logistics,” says Sergey B. Tarusov, Chairman of RK Lenina.
“Agreement has been reached between all parties as a result of our negotiations. This project represents one of the most significant developments for the Russian Federation’s fishing fleet,” says Ilya Panteleev, Head of Marketing at the yard.
The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2023 and will operate in Russia’s Asian fishing grounds in the Okhots Sea.
While this is the first ship design project that Wärtsilä has carried out for the Yantar shipyard, the company has supplied equipment for numerous vessels built at the yard.