Norwegian krill processing firm, Rimfrost, contracted Kongsberg Maritime to design and equip a highly innovative vessel. The ship is to be built by Westcon, who will complete the vessel at their facility in Norway after initial construction at the Tersan Shipyard in Turkey. It is expected that the 120m ship will be ready to begin operations in 2022. The contract has been awarded in several stages during 2020, with the final stage signed in September 2020. The total value of the contract exceeds NOK200 million ($22 million).
Kongsberg Maritime’s design incorporates technology that is destined to set a completely new standard for krill fishing in Antarctica in terms of climate-friendliness, sustainability and optimal resource use, satisfying both DNV GL Clean Design class notation and the IMO’s Polar Code. Extensive use of heat recovery from exhaust gases, coolant water and factory processes will ensure the best possible energy utilization, while the large-scale application of electric components will limit the danger of pollution from hydraulic systems.
The ship’s pioneering design is firmly focused on sustainable operation in one of our planet’s most fragile ecosystems. With this in mind, the vessel will be able to carry out much of the product processing onboard, making more efficient use of the krill caught and thereby reducing the quantity required. Rimfrost CEO, Stig Remøy, explained that “this will be the only vessel in the world where health food and food supplements are actually produced at sea immediately after catching. Short and careful processing will have a positive effect on product quality. This will allow us to develop several new products as food additives for humans, animals and farmed fish as well as for pharmaceutical use. We believe this vessel will revolutionize krill fishing in Antarctica.”
Rimfrost gained its krill license from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries based on the environmental and innovative aspects of the application, in addition to the vessel’s planned use as a research platform. There is also an option to construct a further vessel.
