VESSEL REVIEW | Harald Martin – Nordlaks’ second LNG hybrid wellboat in series

Norwegian offshore salmon farming company Nordlaks has taken delivery of the second live fish carrier in a series to be built by Tersan Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.

As with earlier sister Bjorg Pauline, the DNV-classed Harald Martin has a length of 85.54 metres, a beam of 19 metres, and a fish transport capacity of 4,300 cubic metres. Design work on the vessel was provided by Norwegian naval architects NSK Ship Design.

The new wellboat also has a "no diesel" hybrid propulsion system consisting of LNG-powered engines, which is in line with the owner's requirement for reduced CO2 emissions, and a battery pack supplied by Corvus Energy. A shore connection is also available to provide the vessel with the electrical power that is needed by the equipment used for unloading catch.

The Rolls-Royce Bergen LNG-powered engines include two C25 33L6AG 1,400kW units and two C26 33L8AG 1,840kW units. The engines drive a Kongsberg Maritime propulsion arrangement that includes four 650GHC gearboxes and propellers. The LNG storage and processing equipment is in the form of fuel tanks provided by MAN Cryo.

A dynamic positioning system and an advanced mechanical fish delousing system from Sea Farm Innovations have also been installed. The DP system is connected to a set of Kongsberg TT1650 750kW tunnel thrusters for adequate station keeping for loading and unloading of catch without the need for tug assistance or even heavy and cumbersome mooring cables. A heat recovery system has also been installed to further reduce emissions during loading/unloading operations.

The other equipment includes a Cflow fish handling system, a Norwater reverse osmosis freshwater treatment plant, a Hyde ballast water treatment system, Hydroniq coolers, and cranes from Triplex. Power for these and all other onboard systems, including the LED lights and the Furuno navigation and communications electronics, is supplied by four Rolls-Royce Bergen lean-burn, medium-speed generator sets. As with the main engines, the generators on Harald Martin also operate on LNG.

Accommodations are available for 14 regular crewmembers and four apprentices/technicians. Nordlaks said that all embarked personnel will work in shifts with seven crew and two apprentices on each shift. The wellboat is also prepared for dealing with emergencies thanks to Survitec firefighting equipment and a Palfinger Marine man overboard rescue boat.

Harald Martin will arrive in Norway within this month upon completion of its delivery voyage from Turkey. It will afterwards begin operating alongside sister vessel Bjorg Pauline in transporting live salmon and rainbow trout from Nordlaks' land-based hatcheries to Havfarm 1, the owner's massive, semi-submersible offshore pen that can hold up to 10,000 tonnes of fish.

For more news, features and vessel reviews as part of this month's Fishing and Aquaculture Week, please click here.