Aukra Maritime has been chosen as a supplier for a specially designed and automated cargo handling system

Aker BioMarine will build a new energy efficient vessel, which will be fitted out with a number
of key efficiency improvements and environmentally focused technologies, supplied by a host
of Norwegian vendors.

To be constructed in China, at CIMC Raffles, Yantai yard, the 168-metre-long vessel will be
specifically designed to have as minimal an impact on the environment as possible. The vessel will comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Polar Code. The new support vessel with a price tag of 65 MUSD will replace Aker BioMarine’s existing support vessel, La Manche.

“Protection of the environment is an absolute essential for us, and the design of this vessel has
sustainability as a primary focus. It incorporates the latest energy saving and environmentally
friendly technologies, such as the hybrid propulsion system, and an advanced heat recovery system that helps to reduce the carbon footprint even further,” says Eldar Vindvik, Director Fleet Renewal at Aker BioMarine.

The new support vessel will be powered by Wärtsilä’s award-winning 31 engine. Offering
unparalleled flexibility when it comes to fuel choices, the hybrid, 4-stroke diesel engine, sets a
new benchmark for emissions performance and also holds a Guinness World Record for fuel
efficiency.

“We are proud to have been selected to design and equip this vessel. It will be a customized vessel designed specifically to meet the owner’s operational requirements in a challenging environment. It emphasizes once aga in Wärtsilä’s comprehensive strengths and capabilities, as well as our broad offering to the marine market,” says Lilli Chi, Managing Director Wärtsilä Ship Design.

Featuring frequency-controlled thrusters, to avoid zero pitch loss and reduce underwater noise, the vessel will also be equipped with Dynamic Positioning capabilities, which removes the need to drop anchor during transhipment, eliminating any impact on the ocean floor.

“We have extensive experience among others in building drilling platforms to the world’s most demanding sea conditions. So the construction of the new transport vessel that will face equally challenging conditions in the Antarctica is a project we cannot wait to get started,” said Wang Jianzhong, CEO and President of CIMC Raffles.

The new vessel will also feature a custom cargo handling system from Norwegian supplier Aukra Maritime, which will halve the time it takes to load and unload the processed and packaged krill.

“This contract is incredibly important to everyone at Aukra Maritime, and will ensure operation and work for around 30 employees for almost two years. The fact that Aker Biomarine uses Norwegian suppliers on their projects show that they are committed to quality and that they are supporting the maritime cluster we have in Norway. This strengthens us in the belief that our commitment to quality and technology development has been correct,” says Per Arne Rindarøy at Aukra Maritime.

“The vessel will be constructed in China where there is unique competence for building such large-scale support vessels. The vessel will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology from a number of Norwegian suppliers, many of them who we have great working relationship during building our new krill vessel, Antarctic Endurance,” Vind vik adds.

The vessel is expected to be ready for the 2021 harvesting season.

Contact Per Arne Rindarøy for more information.