The largest new vessel to join the Falklands fleet operating on squid in the South Atlantic has been delivered by the Nodosa Shipyard in Galicia to the Petrel Fishing Company, a joint venture between Percapuerta Group in Vigo and its Falklands partner, the Fortuna Group.
The 85-metre Prion has a 14-metre beam and is the yard’s own design. The handover of the new vessel took place in the Port of Marín, chaired by the President of the Xunta Alfonso Rueda, and attended by Pescapuerte Group president Jose Puerta Prado, Stuart Wallace representing the Fortuna Group, and José Ramón Regueira on behalf of Nodosa, along with around 400 guests who included staff of the yard, the two companies, suppliers and various authorities.
Margarita Prado and Lilian Wallace are the new trawler’s godmothers
According to the yard, Prion is the most modern freezer trawler to be built in Spain, as Pescapuerta and Fortuna together take another step in the process of renewing their fishing capacity, which began three years ago with the delivery of Falcon.
Prion’s 5220kW main engine and the auxiliary engines comply with strict emissions regulations and have been selected for optimum efficiency across the operating spectrum, while minimising emissions and optimising fuel consumption. The energy system on board incorporated a recovery system that allows excess heat to be routed to the trawler’s domestic heating circuits.
The hull design is optimised for energy savings and efficient operation, and this includes an inverted bow arrangement.
Ammonia has been selected the refrigeration agent, as with Falcon. Prion has divided reception pounds to keep catches in optimum condition and the processing deck is outfitted for rapid freezing of catches. The ergonomic work that went into designing Falcon was also carried out for Prion, streamlining processes on the factory deck and minimising heavy lifting.
The deck is arranged for a smaller crew than on older vessels needed for routine deck operations
Accommodation has been laid out to include the largest possible number of single and twin cabins, as well as berths for fishery observers.
