Norwegian shipyard Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted and local designer Napier have penned a new deal for a fish-farm processing boat, after the success of their June 2017 agreement to build the FMV39 Taupo, now a delivery for an unnamed charterer set for November 2018.
With the first boat on a five-year charter, they’re contracting boat No. 2, a 43-meter vessel with a 400-cubic-meter holding tank for fresh fish. A statement said the process boat type is comparable to wellboats but are “better” at keeping fish healthy until processed on-board.
“Tightening” future regulatory requirements on “morts” and hygiene “make process boats a very suitable tool for future farming”, a statement from Napier said. Napier’s unspecified customer is already operating the Tauranga, a converted wellboat, is the only process boat in operation in Norway, the company said.
Since 2009, the vessel has shipped and delivered more than 400,000 tonnes of salmon for Marine Harvest.
“The experience and knowledge of (the Marine Harvest) boat was used in the designs of the newest boats,” a statement said. Napier is based in Bomlo, about halfway between Bergen and Stavanger.
Collaborating with local design outfit, Heimli, has produced the series HFMV series, short for HeimliFMV.
