VESSEL REVIEW | Froy Supporter – Norway's Froy Gruppen acquires delousing and service boat

Norwegian aquaculture support company Frøy Gruppen recently welcomed a new service boat to its fleet.

Frøy Supporter was built locally by Sletta Verft to a design by Møre Maritime. The vessel will be operated at Mowi’s fish farm sites, where she will be used primarily for delousing.

The newbuild has all-steel construction, an LOA of 19.9 metres (65.3 feet), a moulded beam of 10.6 metres (34.8 feet), a maximum draught of only 3.5 metres (11 feet), a depth of 4.2 metres (14 feet), a gross tonnage of 223, and a working deck with a total area of 120 square metres (1,300 square feet) for the transport of various payloads such as maintenance equipment and a remotely operated vehicle supplied by the Akva Group.

The wheelhouse is laid out with a specially designed operator position with clear views of the working deck as well as port and starboard. Møre Maritime said this will ensure the safety of the crew as operations are being carried out amid all the equipment on the deck.

Compact multi-role platform

The vessel's design has been developed for demanding and heavy operations within the aquaculture industry. In addition to the working deck, the vessel also boasts a cargo hold, a workshop and a service room, making her ideal for a range of duties at fish farms.

The deck equipment features MB Hydraulikk winches and two Palfinger Marine knuckle boom cranes.

Hybrid diesel-electric propulsion for enhanced operational flexibility

The vessel’s hybrid propulsion setup includes two Elmarin 374kWh electric motors, an Elmarin 180kW bow thruster, and a Cube 1,074kWh, air-cooled battery pack that not only helps reduce the CO₂ emissions of the diesel engine, but also generates minimal noise to ensure improved comfort for the crew even when operating for up to 24 hours.

The propulsion can deliver a service speed of nine knots and a bollard pull of 14 tonnes.

Elmarin also supplied the vessel’s switchboards, integrated systems for manoeuvring and automation, the dynamic positioning system, and the power management systems, which help optimise the vessel's energy use to preserve fuel and battery life. CC Jensen oil separators are also fitted.

The crew accommodation includes two single and two double cabins, thus housing a total of six personnel.

Frøy Supporter was built in compliance with Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register standards.