Inverlussa, Mowi ink five-year contract for salmon delousing boat

Inverlussa Marine Services has entered into a five-year contract with Mowi Scotland for the operation of a 35- by 14.5-metre vessel for use in salmon delousing work.

The vessel will predominantly cover Scotland and Ireland with the option to deploy to Mowi’s other farming regions as required.

Construction is due to begin later this summer at Nauplius Workboats in the Netherlands. Once completed and delivered in June 2021, it will be the 15th and largest vessel in the Inverlussa fleet.

The vessel’s delousing equipment will have a rated throughput of up to 250 tonnes per hour.

The salmon will be passed through lukewarm water to quickly remove and collect the sea lice. This throughput is essential to reduce salmon crowding/handling time, therefore improving fish welfare.

As part of the treatment system, the vessel will also accommodate an oxygen generator and a heat recovery system for the water used in the delousing process.

The treatment equipment, as well as the azimuthal propulsion system, will be powered fully by a diesel-electric power system to increase the vessel’s efficiency and flexibility.

The vessel will also be DP-capable to enhance manoeuvrability and operation at cages.