The fishing industry in Iceland is changing and the demand for high speed fishing boats is growing. Volvo Penta''s D12-650 engine provides these boats with ideal features for small-scale fishing: rapid acceleration, high top speed and high fuel efficiency.
Small-scale fishing in Iceland is carried out largely with high-speed boats with a crew of two or more. Volvo Penta holds a strong position as an engine supplier to the boat builders in the region. Tom Tveitan, Sales Manager for Iceland and the Faeroe Islands at Volvo Penta. says: "We deliver engines to a number of Icelandic boat builders with high expertise in the fast fishing-boat segment. We manufacture high performance engines for commercial use such as the D6, TAMD74C and D12 models."
High torque
Volvo Penta's strong position in the segment is attributable mainly to the D12-650 diesel engine's unique torque curve.
"The high torque that the engine delivers in a broad rpm range well down in the rpm register, produces rapid acceleration direct from low engine speeds. As a result, the boat planes out quickly and easily," says Tom Tveitan. Good load-carrying capacity provides high cruising speed. Even in the upper rpm register, the engine is excellent for high-speed fishing boats since the load carrying capacity is very good all the way up to the rpm limit. Equipped with a D12, the fishing boat retains its performance even with a heavy load. As a result, the fishing boat can sustain the same high speed on the way home as it did to the fishing waters, despite having landed several tonnes of fish during the day. As a rule, the boat's top speed is 30 knots or higher and cruising speed about 25 knots.
Fuel-efficient high performance
The D12-650 is an electronically-controlled, 6-cylinder, 650-hp marine diesel engine that, despite its high-performance profile, is fuel efficient. Unit injectors that operate under high pressure, turbo-charged air cooler and an extremely well-controlled combustion process contribute to the 12-litre engine's economy. The optimised combustion process gives the boat a large action radius but also ensures low exhaust emissions. Volvo Penta's six and 9-litre engines offer performance that is attractive for the somewhat smaller boats designed for the single fisherman.
Jakob Magnusson, Volvo Penta's importer on Iceland says that the D9 engine is perfect for high speed boats of around 36 feet."The 9-litre engine offers very high performance and results in lower vibrations onboard. Moreover, in principle, the D-9 is no larger than a 7-litre engine."
