Wartsila propulsion picked for new fishing vessel

A new purse seine fishing trawler to be built at the Karstensen Skibsvaerft shipyard in Denmark for Strand Senior AS, a subsidiary of Norway's Strand Havfiske AS, will have Wärtsilä propulsion machinery.

In specifying that an innovative and highly efficient vessel was required, the owners specifically emphasized that the propulsion system should be centered on the Wärtsilä 31 engine, listed by Guinness World Records as the world's most efficient four-stroke diesel engine. The engine's fuel efficiency also means that exhaust emissions are minimized.

Wärtsilä will also supply a two-speed gearbox, controllable pitch propellers, HP-Nozzle, shaft generator, and the Wärtsilä ProTouch control system.

The two-speed gear solution provides additional fuel savings by enabling the propeller to be operated at low speed when maximum vessel speed or thrust is not required. It also results in reduced noise levels, which is important both for crew comfort and because the level of underwater radiated noise affects the efficiency of the fishing activities.

"The Wärtsilä 31 engine is becoming a popular choice for vessels where operational efficiency is a key requirement. Already a number of new fishing vessels have specified the Wärtsilä 31 and we expect this trend to be increasingly emphasised over the coming years," says Stefan Wiik, Vice President, Engines, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

"We wanted to build a new vessel that represents the future. For this reason we have emphasized high efficiency and environmental sustainability, and Wärtsilä was the obvious choice to meet these aims," says Janne-Grethe Strand Aasnæs, Managing Director, Strand Havfiske AS.

When delivered in early 2019, the 75 m long trawler will carry out commercial fishing operations, combining trawling and purse seining. The trawl fishing will be carried out mostly along the west coast of Ireland.

Wärtsilä has earlier supplied propulsion solutions for other vessels in the Strand Senior fleet.