In the last year the company has announced a series of orders for high tech trawlers from operators around the world from New Zealand to Greenland.
The latest Rolls-Royce designed and equipped stern trawler to enter service, with the Norwegian fishing company Prestfjord Havfiske AS, is the Holmøy. The vessel carries out traditional fishing operations for whitefish and shrimps and mainly operates in Norwegian, Russian and Greenland waters.
Holmøy is a very special vessel for Rolls-Royce. It represented the first commercial order of the new fuel efficient medium-speed engine Bergen B33:45, and it is equipped with the first commercial trawl winches driven by permanent magnet (PM) motors. It also has the Promas integrated rudder and propeller system, a hybrid propulsion system, and the full ship design is by Rolls-Royce.
“Our ship design capability and advanced equipment allow us to develop vessels like these, the most effective and advanced fishing vessels in the world,” said Monrad Hide, Rolls-Royce, VP Sales & Contract for Fish and Special Purpose Vessels. “Decades of world-class research, development, and industry knowledge combined with close cooperation with our customers allow us to help them maximise the efficiency of their fishing operations.”
The 69 meters long trawler was built at Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain. The vessel’s onboard factory heads guts and freezes the catch, which can then be stored in the vessel’s 1,400m3 refrigerated hold.
Accommodation is provided for 29 people in 23 cabins. Crew comfort is enhanced with the inclusion of a light mess room, day room and even a cinema room.
About the technology
The B33:45 engine offers a 20 per cent increase in power per cylinder compared to existing engines in the Bergen range. The engines are economical with a specific fuel consumption of 177g /kWh at full load and comply with IMO Tier II and III rules.
The Bergen B33:45 is designed to run for 25,000 hours between major maintenance when operating at average loads. Since its market introduction in September 2014 the B33:45 has been selected to power 17 vessels including nine fishing vessels.
The vessel is equipped with the first commercial trawl winches driven by permanent magnet (PM) motors. Developed by Rolls-Royce, PM technology was first launched to drive thrusters more efficiently, silently and with less vibration. These benefits also apply to PM winches and are particularly suited to applications that operate in harsh conditions and combine a need for sensitive control and rapid changes in pull and speed.
Propulsive efficiency is also increase with the installation of the Promas integrated rudder and propeller system together with a new low resistant hull design.
To achieve the best possible operating economy and environment-friendly profile, the vessel has a hybrid propulsion system, based on the Rolls-Royce Hybrid Shaft Generator system (HSG). This can be operated in diesel-electric or diesel-mechanical mode. The HSG is an advanced electric power control system for conditioning the electrical power coming from a shaft generator.
It allows shaft speed to be reduced whilst maintaining a constant frequency for the electrical supply throughout the ship. This permits a much more flexible use of engine and propeller speed variations to maximise both propeller and engine efficiencies by running them at their design points. This has the benefit of improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and also significantly reduce operating costs.
The trawler is a Rolls-Royce NVC 370 design.