Albacora Group, operators of the largest tuna fishing fleet in the European Union, recently commissioned a new purse seiner to be built at Vigo-based shipyard Astilleros Armón, which will feature Schottel controllable pitch propeller.
Designed by Armón and Cintranaval, Galerna Lau will be fitted with the latest propulsion system from German propulsion expert Schottel, with a type SCP 109 4-X controllable pitch propeller with a power input of 6000kW and a 4000mm propeller diameter to generate a maximum speed of 20 knots.
Due to the adjustable propeller blade pitch, SCPs are suited for a wide range of operations, such as manoeuvring, berthing, and deploying and retrieving fishing gear. According to Schottel, this means the operator not only benefits from a high degree of efficiency, but also lower operating costs and reduced fuel consumption as a result. Furthermore, the controllable pitch propellers have an impressively long service life due to low maintenance requirements.
Galerna Lau, with an overall length of 95.10 metres and a 14.80 metre beam, is the largest vessel built for Albacora in recent years. This will be the third ultra-freezing project that Astilleros Armón has constructed for Albacora, which targets skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna, operating a fleet of 19 purse seiners used to fish in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
