They are partnering to develop what they say will be the first vessel operating in that market to use battery power in fish feed deliveries.
The Kryssholm, as it is called, will rely on hybrid technology. It will be chartered to BioMar during the high season, with the first feed deliveries taking place in the summer of 2021.
Tore Gunnar Wikdal, director, supply chain, BioMar Norway, said the vessel will deliver feed directly into silos at fish farms in Norway.
The Kryssholm will be one of the market’s largest feed vessels, with an overall length of 89.9 meters and a beam of 13.6m, and cargo capacity of more than 3000 tons, he said. The ship is owned and operated by Bio Feeder, which is based in Austevoll, Norway.
The vessel will feature a combination of diesel engines and hybrid batteries, to ensure both noiseless dynamic positioning (DP) delivery and low energy consumption on delivery, said the parties.
“During DP discharging, the ship will use batteries and auxiliary engines. Using the hybrid solution during discharging enables both emissions and consumption to be reduced,” explained Nils Tore Øpstad Melingen of Bio Feeder.
When asked by how much energy consumption and CO2 emissions will be reduced in this type of ship compared to standard feed transport vessels, the BioMar supply chain expert told us the partners do not have such figures at hand but that they evidently intend to monitor and report on such emissions when the vessel becomes operational.
Financial support for the conversion of the vessel has been received from the NOx Fund. The grant is conditional upon the Kryssholm being fitted with a system for treating the exhaust gases produced by its engines.
The aim of the NOx Fund, which was established in 2008m, is to reduce emissions by industry, in an effort to ensure Norway meets its commitments under the Gothenburg Protocol.
Clean fuel
BioMar already uses two more sustainable fish feed delivery vessels, the Nyksund and the Høydal for its Norwegian logistics. The vessels are powered by liquid natural gas (LNG), which is said to be a cleaner fuel than diesel.
LNG vessels reduce CO2 emissions, said Gunnar Wikdal.
The company is also modifying its distribution vessels so that they use shore-side power at berth in ports. “The vessels will avoid using generators at harbors,” he added.
The use of shore-side electricity at terminals means ships can turn their generators off, a move that is said to result in less air pollution at ports.
