VESSEL REVIEW | Sørkapp – New Norwegian stern trawler boasts low environmental impact

Norwegian fishing company Nergard Havfiske has expanded its vessel fleet following the recent acquisition of a hybrid-powered stern trawler designed and built by compatriot company Vard.

The final trawler in a series of three built by Vard for the same owner, Sørkapp ("South Cape") utilises a design that has been continuously developed to meet the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency, and environmentally friendly operations. Construction of the hull took place at Vard Braila in Romania while completion was carried out at Vard Brattvaag in Norway.

The vessel was also built to incorporate efficient technology to bring catch ashore with a minimal environmental footprint, which will then lead to improvements in both catch quality and crew safety as well as more sustainable operations.

As with its sisters Senja and Breidtind, Sørkapp has an LOA of 80.4 metres, a moulded beam of 16.7 metres, a maximum draught of 6.9 metres, a deadweight tonnage of 1,920, and accommodations for 25 personnel. The newbuild is outfitted for semi-pelagic and bottom trawling operations and also has H&G processing and handling equipment optimised for fish and shrimp.

The fish handling equipment includes live tanks, refrigerated and freezer holds with a combined capacity of 2,190 cubic metres, and a 390-square-metre ensilage tank for processing of biomass ashore. Seaonics supplied a deck equipment package consisting of cranes and electrically-driven winches that can withstand harsh conditions and can be controlled from the wheelhouse while Thyboron Trawldoor provided the trawl doors and weights.

The trawler is fitted with Bergen main diesel engines, Kongsberg Maritime thrusters, Hydroniq seawater coolers, and Vard Electro's proprietary energy storage system. The battery system will be charged from permanent magnet motors on the trawl winches while in shooting mode and can also contribute power to heaving mode on the trawl winches. A power management system allows seamless integration with the hybrid propulsion system to minimise fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. A heat recovery system is also available to further increase overall efficiency.

Vard fitted Sørkapp with integrated automation and monitoring systems. These will provide the crew with a more streamlined overview of the vessel's performance parameters, allowing adjustments to be made as necessary to the operating profile to help optimise energy consumption and reduce emissions.

Together with the vessel's ice-strengthened hull, the hybrid propulsion system enables Sørkapp to comply with DNV's Silent F notation.

The vessel's accommodation areas include cabins, a gym, a day room, and a mess. The onboard spaces were outfitted by Vard Interiors to ensure low noise. The scope of work included furniture, piping in the accommodation areas, the provision systems, and the HVAC system. The crew also have access to firefighting gear from Survitec and lifeboats from Viking Life-Saving Equipment.