VESSEL REVIEW | Hypomar Ocean 1 – Hybrid kelp harvester for Norwegian biotech specialist

Haugesund, Norway-based maritime biotechnology company Alginor, through its wholly owned subsidiary Hypomar, recently took delivery of a new kelp harvesting vessel built by local shipyard Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted (FMV) to a design by Solstrand Trading. Hypomar Ocean 1 was designed with emphasis on reducing technical risk, safeguarding crew health and safety, and ensuring a reduced environmental footprint.

The first vessel to join the Hypomar fleet measures 26.78 by 10.4 metres (87.86 by 34.1 feet) and is equipped with onboard production systems and a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system that includes a Scana DI16 90M main engine, a John Deere 6068AFM85 auxiliary engine, a Nogva Heimdal propeller, Veth side thrusters, and a battery pack with an output of 1,000 kWh. Installation of the battery pack was made possible with support from Norwegian state-owned financing agency Enova.

A key part of a proposed kelp value chain

The vessel will be used to harvest kelp, particularly kelp that belongs to the species Laminaria hyperborea, which is abundant in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean just off the Norwegian coast. The kelp grows rapidly, and up to four million tonnes can be harvested each year without risk of the existing biomass becoming depleted.

Alginor plans to develop, manufacture, market, and sell kelp-based ingredients to global customers for use in pharmaceutical and nutritional products. A longer-term objective is the establishment of one of the first biorefineries for large kelp in Europe, and Hypomar Ocean 1 will supply this facility with the necessary quantities of kelp.

Alginor’s aim is to develop a fully integrated value chain based on biorefining Laminaria hyperborea, and this strategy is dependent on the company controlling the supply of raw materials.

Hypomar Ocean 1 will be used to secure sufficient raw material supplies during Alginor’s upcoming demonstration phase, and in the longer term as part of a planned fleet of harvesting vessels. The demonstration phase entails assessing how the company’s value chain will fare on an industrial scale.

Alginor intends to have processing of the kelp commence immediately upon harvest. The vessel is thus equipped with the facilities necessary for initial processing of kelp while in transit. The deck equipment meanwhile includes MacGregor cranes while the electronics include Furuno navigation and communication gear.

First in a planned fleet

Maxship Inter was responsible for the interior furnishings and Aritech installed the onboard ventilation. R. Stahl Tranberg provided the navigation lighting and International paint was used for the exterior surfaces. The crew have access to a mess and a galley.

Hypomar Ocean 1 was delivered in May 2024. The vessel is presently undergoing post-acceptance trials and testing of its equipment and onboard processes so that the necessary calibrations and adjustments to the operating systems can be made before full-scale operations can commence.