Norwegian company Aker BioMarine has launched its flagship purpose-built krill catching and processing vessel, Antarctic Endurance, which was christened at a ceremony in the port of Ålesund last week after being delivered by the Vard shipyard.
The 129.60 metre LOA, 23 metre beam Antarctic Endurance is the result of a two-year process of design, development and construction, with the hull built at the Vard Tulcea yard in Romania before being brought to Norway for completion.
“We have used all our experience and knowledge in the work to realise our ambitions and operational needs for a vessel of this type. This is something we could only have dreamed of when we started our own adventure in Antarctica more than a decade ago,” said Matts Johansen, CEO of Aker BioMarine.
“Antarctic Endurance is designed and engineered specifically for our operation, she is energy saving and equipped with a range of environmentally friendly technologies implemented through the involvement and input of our experienced crew. This is a unique vessel in every way and our very first specially built krill vessel.”
The new ship takes its name from the original Endurance, taken to the Southern Ocean by British polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The honourable Alexandra Shackleton, the granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton, christened the new vessel at the ceremony in Ålesund.
“This is a fantastic day and it means a great to me that my grandfather and his crew's heritage and heroism are recognised in this way. Antarctic Endurance becomes a reminder and a symbol of the legacy of Norway and Britain sharing and binding us together. My grandfather Sir Ernest Shackleton got his vessel, Endurance, built in Sandefjord in Norway, and now there is a new vessel named Endurance built in Norway on the way out to Antarctica,” Alexandra Shackleton commented.
Antarctic Endurance has been built at a cost of NoK1.1 billion (US$140 million)
“Today we are proud shipbuilders in at Vard that Antarctic Endurance is now ready for her debut season. This is a unique project and in cooperation with Aker BioMarine, we have solved a number of challenges to deliver what we believe is a vessel that sets a completely new standard for the industry,” said Vard’s Fredrik Mordal Hessen.
In addition to meeting the requirements of Aker BioMarine's operational activities in fishing for krill, the vessel has been designed and equipped for maximum energy efficiency. Through a number of innovative processes and technologies on board, Antarctic Endurance is claimed to be 30% more environmentally-friendly in comparison to conventional fishing vessels.
