VESSEL REVIEW | Salmon feed barge built for harsh conditions in Iceland

Iceland-based fish farming company Háafell recently acquired a new feed barge that will support its salmon harvesting activities in the north-western part of the country.

Built by Faroe Islands-based GroAqua, the barge is designed to be operated at exposed sites with a feed system and space for six feed lines and 480 tonnes of feed for salmon plus another five tonnes for lumpfish. This capability means the barge is able to supply a large number of cages with food for extended periods of time. This feature also means that the barge requires less frequent refilling, which reduces downtime and increases overall efficiency.

The barge is designed specifically for fish feeding with a double hull design that allows it to withstand some of the harshest weather conditions in Northern Iceland where waves can reach as high as 5.5 metres. The design of the hull also reduces compensation on the inner walls.

The risk of icing was also taken into account during the design phase due to the conditions prevalent in Háafell’s area of operations in Ísafjörður. Specifically, the barge can still operate even with its deck covered in 70 tonnes of ice.

The built-in fish feeding system eliminates the need for separate feeding equipment. The barge can even operate without any embarked personnel, the control and the monitoring of the various onboard systems being done purely remotely via the fish feeding system’s dedicated software.

A hybrid arrangement powers all onboard systems, with generators running only two to four hours per day. GroAqua said this not only improves power efficiency but also reduces fuel usage and lowers carbon emissions and noise pollution.

The deck equipment includes a Palfinger Marine knuckle boom crane.

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