Transporting Live Fish – Rolls-Royce Wins Another Unique Ship Design Order

Remember in Star Trek 4 when they had to transport humpback whales through in time in an spaceship/aquarium by slingshotting around the sun?

Well, nearly a month after Rolls-Royce announced they had won a design order for an LNG powered fish food delivery ship, Norwegian ship owner Sølvtrans AS has awarded them another very unique ship design… a live fish transporter.

They fortunately won’t have to go faster than the speed of light to save the world, but in order to transport live fish efficiently and in a healthy condition, the fish transport professionals at Sølvtrans require that spacious, temperature controlled tanks be built into the hold of this new ship, plus a number of other high tech features.

The new wellboat will have a capacity of 3000 cubic meters and is arranged for transporting up to 450 tonnes of live fish.  The vessel will be fully equipped for transport in a closed system that does not discharge anything to the sea. Control of the water-flow and -circulation in the cargo compartments has been a design priority to secure optimal conditions for the fish.  The vessel is equipped with advanced filters and systems for collection and destruction of all lice and will be the first wellboat in the market that filters the water through a 150 my filter. This prevents the penetration of lice and its eggs, and is thus very important in the combat of salmon lice.

The vessel will be 76 meters long and 16 meters wide. The cargo capacity is divided into three equal holds with sliding bulkheads and pressure system for loading and unloading.

Monrad Hide, Rolls-Royce, General Manager – Fishing Vessels said: “The live fish carrying market is a growing one. This order demonstrates how our advanced ship designs can be tailored to specific purposes while retaining the world-leading features of fuel efficiency, lower operating costs and environmental performance.”

“This vessel marks a new era for this specialist segment of the fishing industry and we’re delighted that Sølvtrans has chosen our design and equipment.”

The new Rolls-Royce NVC 386 design incorporates the Group’s latest developments in hull design to ensure fuel efficiency, cost-effective operations and stability. The vessel features an advanced diesel-electric propulsion system including two Bergen C 6 diesel engines and a hybrid shaft generator which significantly reduces energy consumption on board.

Rolls-Royce designs and equips an extensive range of vessel types for the fishing industry ranging from large freezer trawlers to longliners,  and bulk carrying vessels.  There are currently more than 100 Rolls-Royce designed vessels operating in global fishing fleets.

Considerable emphasis has been placed on the living quarters and working environment for the crew.  In order to enhance crew comfort during long periods at sea, the NVC 386 features eight single cabins, a fitness center and a sauna.

The vessel will be built at the Spanish shipyard Astilleros Zamakona S.A. with delivery expected in June 2013.  The investment of approx NOK 240 million will be funded through a combination of Sølvtrans’ own cash pool and loans from Sølvtrans’ main banks.