AWARDS 2020 | Best Longliner – Atlantic – Skipsteknisk and Tersan Shipyard

Best Longliner – Atlantic – Skipsteknisk and Tersan Shipyard

The beautiful and very impressive global roaming longliner Atlantic represents the absolute latest in fishing vessel design, construction, equipment, comfort and propulsion technology.

She is “space age” safe and luxurious. Her crews will be almost coddled despite the icy and rough waters they will normally work in. Her sophisticated diesel/diesel, electric/electric propulsion system has been specified for maximum power combined with maximum economy and reliability.

Working from a brilliant Norwegian Skipteknisk design, Turkey’s Tersan Shipyard has constructed an ultra-high quality vessel that has provided her experienced owner with wonderful value in a vessel to be very proud of.

“Atlantic is truly the first of its kind,” Skipsteknisk told Baird Maritime, “combining the longline and danish seine fishing methods in a way that has never been done before. Further, the vessel incorporates a true hybrid propulsion system, meaning that the vessel can be operated by either diesel-mechanic, diesel-electric or pure electric battery power for different operating profiles. This allows the crew to choose the power option best suited for each operation, thus achieving the smallest possible carbon footprint.”

The designers said the use of exhaust heat recovery and NOx scrubbers further contribute to achieving the goal of delivering pristine Norwegian seafood with the lowest possible environmental impact.

“Another unique attribute of the vessel is its moon pool,” said the builder, Tersan. “This is a common feature among offshore support vessels but not in fishing vessels. However, such a feature is important in Atlantic since it translates into increased catch rates as well as safer operations in all weather conditions.”

“The vessel is arranged and built with crew comfort, safety, and a high degree of automation as other focus areas,” Skipsteknisk added. “Nearly all manual heavy lift operations have been eliminated by incorporating smart solutions for fishing arrangements and for the processing factory. Automatic packing, pelletising and forklift operations in the cargo hold ensure that the crew are spared from the most physically straining tasks.”

Skipsteknisk said that the onboard accommodation was built with quality and comfort in mind. This is evident in facilities that include single cabins for all crew, a sauna, a gym and spacious common areas with large window sections.

The development of Atlantic focused on the incorporation of environment-friendly features, a growing trend in naval architecture that both Skipsteknisk and Tersan had already recognised even before the project entered its initial stages.

“We see that the current regulatory environment and public opinion are pushing the industry in this direction,” Skipsteknisk told Baird Maritime. “A significant number of vessels are being built with new technology to achieve energy efficiency goals. One of our own goals is to be a leading contributor in facilitating innovation and evolution on this point.”

Tersan held a similar view, but also remarked that there is a growing demand for improved crew comfort.

“The new generation vessels have bedrooms offering ‘hotel-like’ comfort as well as lounges and mess areas equipped with fireplaces where crews can gather and relax as if they were at home. We also observed that more facilities like mini movie theatres, gyms, and saunas are also being included in newer ships as standard features, and we are working towards incorporating the same in our product line.”

Skipteknisk further claimed it was the focus on reducing environmental impact that enabled it to withstand the slowdown of the world economy caused by the ongoing pandemic.

“We have been able to keep our business going at a steady course. Our focusing on solutions, as well as the growing global demand for seafood, also makes us optimistic about 2021.

“Sustainable fisheries management worldwide and the certification/traceability of seafood from catching to consumers dish will continue to develop. Green labelling of all investments, fleet and other assets, will become increasingly important in order to obtain goodwill from markets.”

Skipsteknisk pledged that they are ready to take on the above challenges, having earlier recognised the gravitation of the Norwegian fishing industry towards environment-friendly solutions. These include the use of proven dual fuel, hybrid-powered vessels, pure battery-powered vessels, and the development of newer low-emission fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. Perhaps the only impediment, the company claims, is that the Norwegian deep-sea fisheries industry is 100 per cent commercial, meaning CAPEX/OPEX will be the main constraint that will dictate how quickly new technologies will be developed.

The year 2020 proved no less challenging for Tersan, but the company also looks forward to 2021 and the coming years with the same degree of optimism.

“The fact that we were able to deliver three newbuildings and added six new ones to our orderbook in 2020 proved that we were not as badly affected by the pandemic as we initially thought,” Tersan told Baird Maritime. “In fact, we treated it as a source of inspiration for exploring opportunities in diverse markets such as the renewables and passenger vessel sectors.”

The company commented that it expects to see continued growth in the global fishing industry due to population growth, income improvement in some countries, and increasing health consciousness among consumers who wish to switch to healthier diets by including seafood in their daily meals.

“Partly in response to this growing demand, fishing vessel operators are investing in new, more efficient and highly-sophisticated factory vessels upgraded with new technologies. Further, older fleets are starting to be replaced with new-generation vessels with the goal of improving the quality of finished products. We therefore expect a bright period for the fishing vessel industry over the next few years.”

Tersan added that the expected stable growth for the demand of new vessels is not limited to fishing vessels but also vessels serving the aquaculture industry.

“All of this is welcome news for us and other shipbuilders in Turkey, particularly those involved in fishing vessel construction. The recent crisis showed the effectiveness of the sound investments we all made early on in modernised shipyards, a better-trained labour force, and more flexible and innovative production methods that enable us to adapt to unwanted events such as slowdowns in the economy. Certainly, any Turkish shipbuilder who possesses these attributes will be one step ahead of the rest of the herd.”

For a list of the 2020 “Best Of” award winners, please click here.