GEAR | Frøy selects ABB’s power system for new hybrid live fish carrier

ABB has secured a repeat order with Sefine Shipyard of Turkey to deliver a comprehensive power and propulsion system to a second live fish carrier slated for Norwegian operator Frøy.

The system comprises ABB’s onboard grid and a distribution solution designed specifically for integrating fish-handling equipment and other specialised equipment.

The solution will optimise energy use on board by drawing on the vessel’s four engines or its energy storage system or a combination of both, as needed. The power setup will be managed by ABB’s integrated power and energy management system, which will ensure optimal use of the vessel’s total power resources.

While fish-handling systems have traditionally used AC solutions, ABB’s onboard grid enables a DC setup. This requires fewer components, filters and other equipment and simplifies the configuration of the frequency converter solution.

ABB said the grid is a highly fault-tolerant power system platform, using high quality components and autonomous sub-system design philosophy, resulting in safer and more efficient operations. An added benefit to DC compared to AC  is that it is less exposed to harmonic distortion, as well as onboard space savings, ease of maintenance, and an enhanced operational overview.

With the full ABB package also including the digital and connected remote diagnostic system, Frøy will benefit from further enhancements in the vessel’s operational safety and performance as well as prompt failure detection and correction support. The vessel’s high-power fish-handling system will feature a combination of ABB’s multi-drives and single-drives, which integrate seamlessly with the functionality of the onboard grid.

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