VESSEL REVIEW | Arnoyjenta – Electric workboat for Norwegian fish farm support company

Norwegian aquaculture support specialist Nova Sea has taken delivery of a new workboat built by local company Folla Maritime Service (FMS).

Arnøyjenta (“Arnoy Girl”) is the first in a new series of three identical monohull workboats built by FMS to a design by Møre Maritime. All are configured to feature electric propulsion, which would ensure reduced environmental impact and noise while allowing for extended operations at exposed fish farms.

Compact size coupled with efficient propulsion setup

The newbuild has a length of 14.9 metres (48.9 feet), a beam of eight metres (30 feet), and an Elmarin 360kWh battery pack that drives two Elmarin 180kW electric motors connected to Kumera propellers.

The propulsion setup also includes two Sleipner electric side thrusters and a Nogva Motorfabrikk generator, which can be used for charging the batteries.

Elmarin also supplied the vessel’s switchboards as well as the systems for automation, manoeuvring and energy management.

The deck equipment includes an Amco Veba Marin VR40M-7S knuckle boom crane and Tess pressure washers while the interior fitout boasts Ertec windows, Libra-Plast doors and hatches, and safety equipment from Certex.

Enhanced visibility for greater situational awareness during operations

The wheelhouse electronics include a Furuno radar. The wheelhouse itself has been laid out to ensure all-round visibility including over the aft deck and has forward-leaning windscreens to help reduce glare from the helm station.

Arnøyjenta’s two other sister vessels are scheduled to be delivered to Nova Sea within 2025. They will be operated at the owner’s fish farms off the coast of Helgeland district in northern Norway just south of the Arctic circle.