Billed as the most efficient of its kind, a 140 metre vessel for fishing krill is being designed by Wärtsilä for Shanghai Chonghe Marine Industry (CMI).
According to Wärtsila, key requirements are for high operational efficiency and minimal environmental impact, and the new vessel will be fitted with the latest fishing equipment, as well as with processing capabilities for high-quality krill products.
‘We are excited to announce our plans for the world’s biggest and most advanced krill trawler. Wärtsilä was a natural choice for us, following the excellent collaboration in designing the Shen Lan. Wärtsilä has proven to be a capable and reliable partner for us, and we are happy to strengthen our co-operation with them,’ said CMI’s CEO Laurent Wang.
This is the second krill trawler to be designed by Wärtsilä for CMI, and is considerably larger than the first, Shen Lan, which is now nearing completion. In addition to the ship design, Wärtsilä has also delivered the engines for the 115 metre Shen Lan.
‘Listening to the customer is central to Wärtsilä’s ship design approach, and we have worked in close co-operation with CMI to establish the precise requirements for successful krill fishing. As a result, together we have developed the outline for this new vessel, which will be ten metres longer than any other krill trawler in operation today. It will also be designed for optimal operational efficiency and environmental compliance, as well as enabling the very latest in fishing and processing methods,’ explained Wärtsilä Marine’s director of ship design Tomaz Nabergoj.
He commented that ocean harvesting needs to be carried out in a sustainable manner, especially in the pristine waters of the Antarctic.
‘By enabling a bigger and more efficient vessel, the Wärtsilä design allows the operator’s quota to be reached with a greatly reduced carbon footprint since less fuel is burned, which correspondingly reduces emission levels,’ he said.
The initial design will be completed during the second quarter of this year, and the scheduled delivery of the new vessel is expected to take place in 2023.
