VARD has announced a new contract for the design and construction of one stern trawler for P/F Akraberg, a subsidiary of Framherji in the Faroe Islands. The contract value is in excess of NOK 500 million, the company said in its release.
The new vessel will be the first new building of VARD’s own design sold to the Faroe Islands. VARD’s shipyards in Norway have in the past built many fishing vessels to Faroese ship owners, which several of the vessels were highly innovative at the time and a leap forward for the local fishing industry. The newly developed trawler of VARD 8 03 design is based on a range of highly advanced and well-proven fishing vessels from VARD, designed with the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency and environmentally-friendly operations. The vessel has been developed in close cooperation with Framherji and will have the latest green technology on board.
With a high focus on the quality of catch, crew safety and sustainable operations, the vessel will have the most efficient technology to bring the catch ashore while minimizing its environmental footprint.
The new vessel of VARD 8 03 design, is a further development of VARD 8 02, which is in operations for several fishing companies in Norway. The new trawler will be equipped with the latest technology, equipment and solutions for onboard production. To secure high quality of the fish, all the catch will be processed onboard, packed and stored in freezers or refrigerators and the fish waste is stored in specialized ensilage tanks, before unloading at the harbor.
The trawler will be equipped with VARD’s innovative catch handling solutions, with a live fish tank to keep the fish healthy until processing, an advanced fish processing factory, high cargo capacity for refrigerated and frozen fish, as well as ensilage tanks to ensure full utilization of the biomass from each catch.
The vessel will be arranged for triple trawling and have a length of 84 meters and a beam of 16.7 meters. The cargo capacity for frozen products will be approximately 2000 m3 divided over two decks, in addition to ensilage capacity of approximately 550 m3. Total fuel oil capacity is approximately 950 m3.
Accommodation is arranged for 25 people in single cabins on board.
For optimal efficiency, the trawler will be equipped with a hybrid propulsion system combining both diesel-mechanical and diesel-electric propulsion, including batteries. Further, a fully integrated SeaQ Energy Storage System and SeaQ Power Management System will be delivered by Vard Electro, for optimal power and fuel economy in all operations. The frequency drives for the electrical winches are driven directly from the SeaQ Micro Grid that will increase the efficiency and enable to store regenerated power from winches to the SeaQ Energy Storage System, resulting in environmentally friendly operations.
On the bridge, the vessel will be equipped with VARD’s flexible SeaQ Bridge, which enables each captain to choose a preferential setup on all screens on the bridge. It is easy and intuitive to use.
The stern trawler of VARD 8 03 design is developed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled from Vard Brattvaag in Norway in Q2 2022. The hull will be built at Vard Braila in Romania.
With innovative solutions VARD aims to take environmental sustainability to a higher level in fisheries, focusing on energy saving propulsion and machinery, power and management systems, together with high standard interior, ensuring good working environment and comfort for life on board.
About P/F Akraberg and Framherji
P/F Akraberg is a subsidiary of Framherji, one of the leading and most innovative fishing companies in the Faroe Islands. The Fuglafjørður-based company is together with its subsidiaries owner and operator of 6 fishing vessels with catch rights in Faroese and International waters, focusing on ground fish and pelagic species.