BioMar Norway has entered a long-term partnership to construct a new feed vessel it said will strengthen the company’s capacity.
The company said the new vessel marks a new long-term collaboration between BioMar and freight transportation firm Egil Ulvan Rederi, which will own and operate the new vessel. The vessel itself is being designed in close cooperation between Egil Ulvan Rederi and The Norwegian Ship Design Company and will be built by Jiangsu Soho Marine Heavy Industry in China.
"Norwegian aquaculture is in continuous development, and we must ensure that our logistics solutions evolve aligned with our customers' needs,” BioMar Norway Managing Director Håvard Yngve Jørgensen said in a release. “With this vessel, we strengthen efficiency, capacity, flexibility, and delivery reliability so that we are well-positioned to meet the industry's future needs.”
BioMar Norway said the vessel will have a hybrid propulsion system capable of both electric and direct diesel-mechanical drive, giving it reduced energy consumption in different operating systems. It will also have a battery system to reduce fossil fuel use, “including while the vessel is unloading at fish farms and while berthed at the quay.”
“Its dynamic positioning equipment is designed with energy-efficient operation and low noise levels in mind, the latter being important to minimize disturbance to fish when the vessel is close to the net pens,” BioMar Norway said. The ship is also designed to draw on shore power at BioMar's factories.”
BioMar said the new vessel is slated to enter service in Q2 2029, will measure 75 meters in length, and is intended to expand BioMar Norway’s capacity for efficient deliveries to customers along Norway’s coastline.
"We are proud to have been chosen as a partner for this project,” Egil Ulvan Rederi CEO Arild Hoff said. “Together, we will develop a robust and efficient solution that meets the demanding requirements for logistics and operations in the aquaculture industry."
