‘Inter TBN’ is under construction at Zamakona Yards Bilbao in Spain and will be delivered to Intership AS in 2022. The new building is designed by NSK Ship Design, and focuses on good control of fish health to prevent infectious diseases. The vessel is believed to be the first of its kind to be equipped with diesel-mechanical propulsion in combination with 2-speed gear from Finnøy Gear & Propeller.

Aquaculture is important for global food production and is estimated to be the fastest growing segment in the maritime industry due to the growing demand for seafood products. To ensure sustainable production, modern propulsion technology offers improved energy efficiency. Finnøy Gear & Propeller's turnkey solutions for live fish carriers, process vessels, ocean harvesting vessels and other fish farming service vessels combines electrification with automation for remarkable economic and environmental benefits. In addition to reducing harmful emissions, there is also a saving in operating costs in terms of maintenance and costs related to diesel and lubricating oil.

‘Inter TBN’ is a step in the right direction towards a low-emission aquaculture industry and is a practical example of how cutting-edge technology supports the industry. "We are pleased to have been selected for this project, which from what we know introduces the world's first 2-speed solution for live fish carriers," says Sales Manager, Arne Nogva. He adds that the vessel can symbolize a new era in the aquaculture industry to achieve the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) vision of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50 % by 2050.

«Like other sectors, the aquaculture sector also seeks ship design that reduces the total operating costs in addition to greenhouse gas emissions. Several other shipowners have also shown interest in similar 2-speed solutions ", Arne Nogva continues. «We are proud to contribute to the venture in close customer collaboration with the shipping company, shipyard and ship designer. The culture of teamwork and knowledge sharing across different companies and nationalities is a good starting point for closing technological gaps. Data from the 2-speed project has enormous potential and contributes to further development and use of green technology ", concludes Arne Nogva.

From the outside, the 72.20 m vessel will look like any other live fish carrier with a fully integrated freshwater plant of large production capacity in relation to its size. A closer look under the hull however, reveals a vessel with an incredibly advanced propulsion system and propeller design of high energy efficiency. The result is a live fish carrier that is significantly more fuel efficient compared to vessels of the same size.

Finnøy Gear & Propeller's 2-speed series is especially developed for vessels with several different operating modes, depending on the length of the trips, weather and cargo. In transit with a loaded or unloaded boat, nice weather and economy speed, the LOW- step is used. For loaded boats in challenging weather, HIGH- gear is used for the purpose of operating the vessel with optimal propeller speed in relation to the power requirement on the propeller. In addition, the gear is designed to maximize safety on board the vessel and is therefore equipped with PTH (Power Take Home) so that the ship can operate even if service is performed or if problems occur with the main engine.

The world’s first 2-speed live fish carrier