In-depth | NEW ORDERS


FEATURE THEME Fish oil out of water


An innovative fish oil containment and storage system is one of the key features of a new workboat under build at Southampton Marine Services


A rendering of a workboat similar to the one that SMS is building for Fish and Fish Ltd: the Malta-bound vessel will have a maximum main deck load of 75tonnes


that can provide a cleaner, safer working environment for crew and contain the fish oil on the vessel, thus reducing the slicks that are a recurring problem during the tuna containment and fattening process. Key to the solution is the creation of a


T


he residents of Malta are up in arms about oil slicks – and action is required. Te oil in question is


fish oil, emanating from the offshore tuna cages that have become common fixtures off the Maltese coast in recent years. Te oil is released when the frozen fish used to feed the tuna defrost inside these cages, creating an ugly and pungent slick that can wash up on the coast – a factor that has angered the operators of the island’s holidaymaker hotspots. To date, attempts to ‘squeegee’ the oil from the top of the


TECHNICAL PARTICULARS SMS 24m aquaculture workboat


Length .................................................24.45m (oa) 24m (lwl)


22.8m (load line)


Breadth ............................................................8.5m Draught, max ...............................................2.87m Engine ............................1 × Caterpillar Acert 18, 448kW@1,800rpm


Gearbox ................................1 × ZF 560W (inline) Bow thruster .................................. 1 × Veth VT-50 Propeller......................   fieitc lae Generators ...................2 × Caterpillar Acert 7.1, 147kVA


Cranes ..........................  alfine  Crew..................................4 (+2 × diver support)


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water have been limited in their success, and such efforts have proven rather time- and labour-intensive. This isn’t just a problem for Maltese


beaches and coastal spots: in general, uncontained fish oil can also pose a nuisance to crew working aboard aquacultural workboats.


John Buck, business


development manager at UK shipbuilding and repair specialist Southampton Marine Services (SMS), explains: “When the fish is frozen, the oil freezes with it: when the fish is defrosted, the oil can leak, potentially causing staining of the vessel interior, a foul smell and slippery, slimy surfaces.” Tis can especially prove the case on board older vessels, where quantities of fish oil have accumulated over many years, Buck adds.


Deck trench design In response, SMS has designed an innovative onboard fish oil containment and management system, which it is incorporating into a new fish farm support vessel under build at its UK facility. Ordered by Maltese tuna farm operator Fish and Fish Ltd, the newbuild, scheduled for delivery in mid-summer 2019, will primarily be used for tuna harvesting and to assist in fish farm logistical and maintenance support. Having beaten off strong competition from European yards to clinch this contract, SMS is now determined to deliver a vessel


trench, designed to run around the entire vessel deck. Buck says: “Fish oil would seep through the trench and into two ‘ballast tank-style’ storage containers, each with the capacity to store 3m3 [3,000litres] of oil. Te containers feature large openings on top, so it is easy to pump the fish oil from them.” This especially chimes with the customer’s plans to recycle the contained fish oil, thereby repurposing it for green energy generation rather than wasting it in the sea. Buck adds: “We’ve incorporated a


check valve draining system, so, if it’s raining, crew can seal off the storage tanks, enabling the rain water to exit the deck via the scupper.” Fortunately though, given Malta’s typical climate, this should not prove a frequent event.


Load capacity Te forthcoming vessel’s main deck will be able to accommodate a maximum load of 75tonnes, which should also giſt the operator a commercial advantage. “Fish and Fish Ltd expects typical loads of 35-50tonnes, which can represent a value of €150,000 [US$171,150] per day,” Buck explains. Te workboat is also being constructed to


meet the requirements of the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s (MCA’s) MGN-280- Category 1 code, permitting operations up to 150nm from the nearest safe haven – a distance that will enable the newbuild to harvest tuna and also visit and service the array of fish cages in Maltese waters, and a notation that broadens the scope for the vessel type to operate in a number of different locations. SBI


Ship & Boat International November/December 2018


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