Page 26 - Seafood, Fishing & Aquaculture 2017-2018

fi sh vessels go electric

The Norwegian aquaculture and fi shing industry has joined the green
shipping wave with a number of pioneering electric fl eet initiatives.

By Valeria Criscione

In 2015, the Norwegian maritime industry swells. A battery back-up solution would also industry has been towards larger fi sh farms in
launched the DNV GL-led public private create safer operations by reducing the risk exposed waters, more delousing on wellboats,
initiative, the Green Coastal Shipping Program. of engine failure and serving as back up. Best and larger-size smolt grown onshore to help
The idea was to encourage research and of all, it would meet the growing customer the industry grow more sustainably.
development of green technology concepts requirement for sustainable solutions.
in the country’s shipping sector. Together with Social Impact
25 partners from the Norwegian maritime “Aquaculture companies are supposed to Grovfjord Mekanisk Verksted has similarly
industry and authorities, they presented fi ve ask for these types of vessels because of the seen a growing need among its fi sh farming
pilot projects, mostly within oil and gas and green and safe side,” said Jorulf Nergård, customers for sustainable and environmentally
cargo transport. ABB vice president business development friendly solutions. As a result, the Norwegian
and short sea shipping. “The risk to cause shipyard has developed a zero emission
However, one of the pilots targets the damage to cages in the case of a blackout workboat for fi sh farms called GMV Zero.
aquaculture segment with an environmentally in the worst case with the worst conditions According to Arnold Hansen, the leader
friendly fi sh farm support vessel. ABB is reduced. Insurance costs could then be behind the project, it would be the world’s fi rst
has worked with the Norwegian Coastal lower. So there are lots of issues that should fully battery powered vessel of this type -- a
Shipowners Association for the past year be appreciated in new requests for vessels.” good sales argument for fi sh farmers wanting
with Trondheim-based shipowner Egil to have a green profi le.
Ulvans Rederi on developing a hybrid battery ABB has started phase two of the project
powered concept that is safer, more cost and is working on getting a shipyard to build “Over the last half year there has been greater
effective, and environmentally benefi cial. or convert a vessel this year. The proposed interest,” said Hansen. “In addition to the
concept vessel would be large enough to elimination of harmful emissions, we see a
Green Fish Farm Vessel handle the more complex and demanding savings in operation expenditures, both in
operations offshore that have come with the maintenance of the diesel motors which have
The objective of the pilot project is to defi ne growing aquaculture sector. The trend in the to be changed every 5-10 years and the costs
how to best use a battery in combination
with a combustion engine to make an energy
effi cient hybrid propulsion system. The
concept is based on a 70-meter long vessel
that can be converted to fi t either a hybrid LNG
and battery powered propulsion system or a
diesel-plus-battery solution. Both concepts
would cut down on NOx, SOx and CO2
emissions. CO2 alone would be reduced by
240 tons per year, the equivalent of 130 cars.

ABB foresees using batteries in combination
with marine diesel oil could lower both capital
and operational expenditures. The vessel
would rely on battery power to shave power
peaks when loading and unloading at sea
and absorb load changes from blasts and

GMV’s zero emission workboat for fi sh farms.
© Grovfjord Mekaniske Verksted

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