Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm) has completed the conversion of a former platform supply vessel (PSV) into a fish feed carrier for Norwegian company Eidsvaag
The project has involved a series of major works. Eidsvaag Opal has been extended by 5 m, which involved Damen cutting the hull in two and inserting new steel sections. Steel work on the vessel totalled 875 tonnes. The vessel’s beam was widened using a series of side boxes to add stability and increase cargo capacity.
Thirty-five new silos and a big bag hold have been integrated into the vessel, enabling Eidsvaag Opal to transport up to 2,800 tonnes of fish feed. The vessel has also been outfitted with five new cranes and a discharge system of conveyors, buckets, elevators and a discharge arm.
The project required considerable electrical work, carried out by FMJ Marine Automation. The supplier removed 480 cables totalling approximately 15 km from the old cargo systems alone. In total, the company pulled 51 km of cable and connected 1,237 cables on the project.
Work on the project took 346 days, although the project was interrupted by the onset of the global pandemic which required the shipyard to cease work on the project for a week to implement safety measures.
Eidsvaag Opal underwent its first loading in the 43rd week of the project to test the new system. A successful test was conducted with the vessel carrying 180 tonnes of feed in the silo and 55 tonnes in big bags. The feed was unloaded at a fish farm close to Tromsø, at which point the capacity and quality was approved by the product owner.
DSAm senior project manager Arjan de Vos said “Naturally we were very concerned with the well-being of everyone working on the project and had to take the time to implement safety measures. This proved to be very effective and not only were we able to continue the work, but we did it in good time. I’m very pleased with the way that we have risen to the challenge presented by the pandemic as a team and been able to continue to safely serve our clients during this time.”
Built by Damen as World Opal in 2013, the vessel is a Damen PSV 3300 CD design with a deck load of 1,500 tonnes and dynamic positioning class 2 capability. Eisdsvaag Opal will be operated by Eidsvaag as part of the Fjordfrende collaboration between Skretting and Cargill – two of the largest suppliers of fish feed.
While the companies are ordinarily competitors in this segment, they are collaborating in outbound logistics. The partnership is based on several horizontal logistics projects receiving funding from the EU Commission, aimed at increasing sustainability and efficiency in the aquaculture industry. The companies are expected to shed 10-20M kg in CO2 emissions as a result of the collaboration.
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