An innovative new pelagic vessel ordered from the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey will be a trailblazer as the first fishing vessel with LNG propulsion combined with a substantial battery pack.
The Lie family’s company Liafjord AS, based at Sotra in western Norway, went to Salt Ship Design more than a year ago to explore the options for a new pelagic vessel to replace the 94 metre Libas, which was delivered in 2004, and sold last year to owners in Iceland.
The 2004 Libas was a groundbreaking vessel in its own right, designed with a completely enclosed net stacking area for the purse seine gear, as well as being the largest fishing vessel in the Norwegian fleet.
According to Salt Ship Design, after a long phase of research and development, an agreement was signed for the construction of this unique fishing vessel at Cemre in Turkey.
The 86 metre overall by 17.80 metre beam pelagic vessel will have a 350 cubic metre LNG tank coupled to a heavyweight battery pack to provide exceptionally environmentally-friendly operation.
Libas is designed to alternate purse seining with pelagic trawling, and will be rigged for both single and double trawling. According to Salt Ship Design, the final details of the equipment intended for the new Libas are yet to be confirmed.
