– The new well-boats are important for Nordlaks and for the production method that we set up in the ocean farms. These will be two fantastic vessels with forward-looking technology and have the necessary capacity that Nordlaks needs for safe and efficient operation. Today is an important milestone, and now we look forward to having the vessel delivered this summer, says Berg.

Designed in Harstad, Norway and built in Turkey

Bjørg Pauline is designed by NSK Ship Design in Harstad and is currently being built at Tersan Ship Yard in Turkey. The well-boat will be the very first with LNG / battery hybrid propulsion. Together with shore power connectivity, this technology will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 30 percent and NOx emissions by 90 percent, compared to today’s well-boats.

Bjørg Pauline will be 84 meters long, 19 meters wide and will have the capacity to carry over 600 tons of live fish. The vessel is owned by Nord Salmon and will mainly transport live salmon and rainbow trout between the company’s land-based hatchery, to fish farm locations in the sea and on to the slaughterhouse on Børøya in Hadsel.

Both well-boats are equipped with Dynamic Positioning (DP) and are adapted to operate at exposed locations and to serve Nordlaks’ upcoming Ocean farm.

The end of diesel fuel

With the launch of the new well-boat, Nordlaks also marks the beginning of the end for diesel fueled well-boats. From 2021, the company will operate two similar well-boats, both without the use of diesel.

– By choosing LNG, batteries and shore power connection over ordinary ship fuel, Nordlaks saves both the environment and fuel costs. LNG is more energy dense and because of the fuel tax system less expensive than diesel. Nordlaks is the foremost in the industry to adopt new technology and we expect fuel costs to be cut by 30 percent compared to today’s well-boats, says Thomas Myhre, Marketing Manager at NSK Ship Design.

Bjørg Pauline will be delivered to Nordlaks in the summer of 2020, while the other of the two well-boats will be delivered according to plan from the yard in Turkey in 2021.