NAVIS ehf has applied for an innovator grant from Rannís (The Icelandic Centre for Research) for the design of the first hybrid longline fishing boat in Iceland.
The application is in cooperation with Naust Marine, The Icelandic Ocean Cluster/Green Marine Technology and NýOrka (Icelandic New Energy).
The idea is to design a 15m longline fishing boat which can be driven from electric batteries and an electric motor or diesel engine, and perhaps later on, from electric and methanol. This would mean that the boat could be operated from wholly Icelandic produced energy alone.
“Instead of installing this equipment into an existing boat, we want to design a new boat from scratch so that all the possibilities which this technology may offer can be utilised in full,” says Hjörtur Emilsson, manager of NAVIS.
“Everything suggests that, with this hybrid technology, up to 30% of fuel oil cost compared with diesel oil will be saved and in that manner the carbon foot print will be reduced accordingly. And if we are successful in turning to the use of methanol, even more reduction of the carbon foot print may be attained”, said Mr Emilsson.
He says that up until now little attention has been paid to energy efficiency of small boats. Many of the boats of this size are very powerful, with large propulsion engines and may even have ice making machines onboard, powered by diesel engines.
“We think the time has come to pause a little and take a breath and consider what there is necessary to have on board in order to obtain as economic an operation as possible”, said Mr Emilsson.
With this hybrid technology the diesel engine can be cut off when the boat has arrived at the fishing grounds and then use the services of a quiet and pollution free electric motor whilst fishing is carried out. Then the choice can be made whether to use electricity or diesel when returning to port after fishing.
