Over the last seventeen years Brunvoll has delivered propulsion and manoeuvring systems for twenty Sølvtrans vessels built just along the coast at Aas Mek Verksted. Now they’re set to boost the numbers even further with an order placed for two more live fish carriers.
Sølvtrans operates one of the largest fleets of live fish carriers in the world and has been a pioneer of the industry since they were established in 1986. The company today employs over 700 staff and runs 42 vessels around the world, mostly serving the aquaculture sectors in Norway, Iceland, Canada, Tasmania, and the UK.
These live fish carriers are specially developed for carrying young salmon or trout to the floating fish farms for their first deployments into the sea. These young fish are delicate and require gentle handling.
The two 70-metre additions to the Sølvtrans fleet are being built to the yard’s own AAS 3002 design to have a 2580-tonne loading capacity – and this continues the winning formula of yard and propulsion supplier.
The Brunvoll propulsion and manoeuvring systems for the vessels consist of three tunnel thrusters, a controllable pith propeller connected to a reduction gearbox, Brunvoll’s propulsion and thruster control system (BruCon PTC), and Brunvoll’s own variable frequency drives.
‘Sølvtrans is committed to leading the industry in fish quality and welfare. A key component in achieving this goal is our propulsion system, which demands top-tier technology, reliability, and service when transporting live animals. This is why we have chosen Brunvoll for so many of our vessels,’ said Harald Tom Nesvik, head of communications at Sølvtrans.
‘Our strategy is to create local jobs and add value by supporting local businesses. 70% of the equipment for our new vessels is sourced from Norwegian suppliers, and Brunvoll exemplifies the world-class supplier industry that we surround ourselves with.’
Brunvoll has dedicated significant resources to development over the past couple of decades, and an important factor of this journey has been returning customers, a company representative stated.
‘We believe Sølvtrans chose us based on quality, and it is the same reason why we chose Brunvoll. We value not only the quality of the products Brunvoll delivers but also the support and documentation provided for designing and building the vessel,’ said Frode Johan Aas, CEO at Aas Mek. Verksted.
‘The frustration regarding the Norwegian government salmon tax has started to pass. We are now, finally, starting to build live fish carriers again, and we believe that the future for Aas looks promising.’
