Fishing company Bluewild is expanding its fleet with a new factory trawler designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions. Design priorities for the new vessel include lowest possible energy consumption and gentle handling of the catch. The trawler will be built at Westcon Yards in Ølensvåg, Norway.
The stern trawler uses Ulstein’s FX101 design – a new segment for the company. The ship is equipped for 30 people. The 73.2m-long vessel has a net cargo space of approximately 2,000m3, and is equipped with quadruple trawl and pelagic trawl. The X-Bow hull design will contribute to less abrupt movements and will minimize sea on deck.
Bluewild’s new ship will be the first fishing vessel to utilize Ulstein’s EcoFive concept and will feature a hybrid power and propulsion system. This propulsion design will include diesel-electric and diesel-mechanical propulsion, and is supported by a large battery pack. Two large propellers with rudder nozzles increase maneuverability and towing power and help minimize energy loss at rudder angles. Surplus energy, such as the return energy from the winches, will be stored in the battery pack and excess heat from the engines will be recovered and used elsewhere in the ship.
Based on the operational profile of the ship, Ulstein has planned the propulsion system and system integration to enable fuel savings of at least 25% per kilo of fish product produced – when compared to a conventional power system. In some operations, together with other energy-saving measures on board, Ulstein hopes this figure will exceed 40%. This significant reduction in energy consumption will not only lead to reduced fuel costs for the shipowner but will also result in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
“They are a good partner for Ulstein Design & Solutions. It is gratifying to see that we can once again supply design and equipment to a Norwegian shipyard for the construction of an innovative vessel,” said Erwin Jager, sales manager, fisheries, Ulstein Design & Solutions.
Ulstein, headquartered in Ulsteinvik, will deliver design and engineering, and an equipment package for the power system. This package includes the generators, electric motors for propulsion including converters, a complete battery system, switchboards and distribution, and control systems for power management and energy management. These are controlled and supervised by the Ulstein IAS automation system, with data collection to the cloud via Blue Box.
Bluewild’s fleet consists of the trawler Ishavet (2013), and the trawler Langenes (1986), which will be replaced by the new trawler.
