New Vessel Feature – QUANTUS PD379

QUANTUS PD379

Peterhead owners take delivery of a 76-metre pelagic trawler from Westcon Yards in Norway, replacing the Quantus they fished for almost two decades.

Photos: Svein Egil Okland – Westcon Yards

The Scottish pelagic fleet has a powerful new addition. The trawler Quantus has been delivered by Westcon Yards in western Norway to Peterhead owners MV Quantus Ltd, run by skipper Ian Buchan and his sons Mark and Stuart and Peter & J. Johnstone Limited. Measuring 76.46 metres overall and fitted out with the latest fishing and handling systems, she has been built to deliver high catch quality while keeping her environmental footprint low.

Designed to target the region’s most important pelagic species, herring, mackerel and blue whiting, the Quantus has been developed to work efficiently in the demanding conditions of the North Atlantic. Long steaming distances, large catches and fast changing weather call for vessels that combine reliability, high carrying capacity, good manoeuvrability and strong fish handling. For the owners, the aim was clear: a vessel that maximises fishing efficiency while keeping emissions low, the working deck safe and the product quality high.

BUILT THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Like many of today’s most advanced fishing vessels, the Quantus is the result of an international shipbuilding effort. She was designed by Norwegian naval architects Salt Ship Design, one of the leading designers of modern fishing vessels in northern Europe. The hull was built at Norse Shipyard in Turkey, while the final outfitting, system integration and commissioning were completed by Westcon Yards at Olensvag in Norway.

The project reflects a growing trend in modern shipbuilding, where hull construction and advanced outfitting are often handled by specialist yards in different countries. Large scale steel work benefits from efficient production facilities, while the installation of sophisticated fishing, propulsion and automation systems calls for the specialist expertise built up over decades within the Norwegian maritime industry.

AN IMPORTANT DELIVERY FOR WESTCON

For Westcon Yards, the handover marks an important milestone and further strengthens the company’s position in the international fishing vessel market. Although best known for ship repair, offshore modifications and rig maintenance, Westcon has a long history of building fishing vessels and commercial ships. The group operates yards at Olen and Karmsund in southwestern Norway, Floro in west Norway and Nesna in Helgeland in the north. More than NOK 500 million has been invested in recent years to strengthen its position across fisheries, maritime services, defence and industrial markets.

According to Endre Matre, Head of Newbuildings at Westcon Yards, the successful delivery shows that Norwegian yards remain competitive in the highly demanding market for advanced fishing vessels.

AN EFFICIENT CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

The vessel was completed to a demanding construction schedule. Both Norse Shipyard and Westcon point to extensive prefabrication and pre outfitting as crucial to the project’s success. Significant portions of the piping, RSW installations and engine room equipment were fitted during the block construction stage, before final assembly. Among the most challenging operations were the lifting and installation of blocks weighing up to 120 tonnes, and the installation of large numbers of machinery components within very tight timeframes.

REPLACING A 65 METRE VESSEL

The new Quantus replaces the previous vessel of the same name, delivered in 2008 by Eidsvik Skipsbyggeri in Norway. That earlier vessel had a hull built by Helgeland Sveiseindustri and was based on a Vik-Sandvik design. With an overall length of 65.28 metres and a main engine rated at 5,772 hp, the former Quantus served the Scottish pelagic fleet well for almost two decades.

Her successor represents a significant step forward. Larger dimensions, more advanced fishing systems, improved energy efficiency and greater operational capability combine in a vessel built to meet the demands of modern North Atlantic pelagic fisheries for many years to come. For the owners, the delivery is more than a fleet renewal. It is an investment in technology, efficiency and product quality that will help keep them competitive in an increasingly sophisticated industry.

The Skipper would like to wish the owners, skipper and crew, and all involved with the Quantus, every success with the new vessel and good fishing for the future.

MAIN ENGINE AND PROPULSION

The Quantus is powered by a single Everllence 12V32/44CR main engine, delivering a maximum continuous rating of 7,320 kW at 750 rpm. Built on proven common-rail technology, the engine offers good fuel economy, low emissions and high reliability, with an advanced electronic control system and Tier III capability that give the owners low lifecycle costs and future proof environmental compliance.

It is worth a word on the engine name. Everllence was known as MAN Energy Solutions until around a year ago, and the engine fitted to the Quantus was supplied while the company still carried the MAN name. Its covers are therefore branded MAN, and the same name appears on the vessel’s rendering. New engines now leave the works carrying the Everllence “E” branding, so there is no cause for confusion between the two.

Power is delivered through a Brunvoll controllable pitch propeller, model E 105/4, of 4,500 mm diameter, running in a Brunvoll HE-Nozzle. The Brunvoll reduction gearbox, model ACG 1080, is a single in, single out unit with a 2,800 kW power take off, matched to a 2,800 kW shaft alternator.

THRUSTERS AND MANOEUVRING

Manoeuvring is handled by a Brunvoll package that includes the company’s integrated Propulsion and Thruster Control (PTC) system, an aft tunnel thruster and a retractable azimuth combi thruster in the bow.

The combi thruster has become increasingly popular on pelagic vessels. In its raised position it works as a conventional tunnel thruster. When lowered, it becomes a fully rotatable azimuth unit providing both manoeuvring and additional thrust. The arrangement offers real advantages during harbour operations and demanding fishing. It improves course keeping in difficult weather, reduces reliance on rudder corrections and can help lower fuel consumption. When pumping astern, the unit can hold the vessel on station while allowing the main propeller to be stopped, removing the propeller wash that could otherwise interfere with the gear and fish transfer.

DECK EQUIPMENT OPTIMISED FOR EFFICIENCY

Efficient deck operations are central to modern pelagic fishing, and the Quantus carries a comprehensive deck machinery, hydraulic and fish handling package from SeaQuest Systems of Killybegs. Designed, manufactured and integrated as a single system, it has been built to maximise fishing efficiency, improve crew safety and give dependable performance across the vessel’s working life in the demanding pelagic grounds of the North Atlantic.

At the core of the package are two 90 tonne split trawl winches with grooved drums and stainless steel guide plates, backed by a 77-tonne topline winch, two 57 tonne tail line winches and a 55 tonne mid line winch. Two 110 tonne net drums handle the gear, while towing is managed by the SeaQuest Autotrawl system, an intelligent trawl control developed specifically for pelagic operations. A range of auxiliary winches, twin DNV and BV class anchor winches with integrated mooring drums and warping heads, and six 12 tonne mooring winches complete the working deck.

Handling is served by a set of SeaQuest cranes: a 4 tonne at 16 metre forward knuckle boom crane, a 5 tonne at 10 metre gantry mounted trawl handling crane with integrated power block, and a 5 tonne at 17 metre net stacker crane, together with a 4-tonne davit arm for the fish pumps. Two 20-inch fish pumps, twin gearbox driven hydraulic hose reels and forward and aft 20-inch fish hose reel systems move the catch aboard quickly and reliably in harsh offshore conditions.

Working areas have been arranged with a strong focus on ergonomics and crew welfare. Non slip surfaces, well planned access routes and easy access to technical equipment help reduce maintenance and improve safety throughout the vessel.

ELECTRONICS AND FISH FINDING

The Quantus is the first UK and Scottish pelagic vessel to be fitted with the latest version of the SONIC Kaijo low frequency sonar, the SDS-22, supplied by Woodsons of Aberdeen. Successor to the long serving SCS-22, the SDS-22 Digital Super Scanning Sonar pairs a completely redesigned transducer and hoist with SONIC’s newest digital processing. The result is clearer images, faster target acquisition and better fish discrimination, helping the skipper locate and track fish schools with greater confidence.

A key feature is the sonar’s Variable Doppler Processing. Conventional Doppler sonar can lose target information at certain vessel speeds, but the SDS-22 adjusts its processing automatically to suit the vessel’s movement and direction. This cuts the loss of fish echoes and keeps targets tracked even while the vessel is manoeuvring or changing speed.

The wider package is built around Kaijo SDS-22T 360 degree low frequency and SCH-18H 180 degree high frequency sonars, a Simrad ES-80 split beam echosounder and a Simrad FS70 trawl sonar with catch sensors. Net monitoring is handled by a Scanmar ScanBas 365 system with TrawlEye and SuperCatch sensors. On the bridge, the Quantus carries JRC X band and S band radar and ECDIS, a JRC voyage data recorder, a Simrad AP70 MK2 autopilot and GC80 gyro, and an Olex 3D plotter, all brought together on a Woodsons 4K UHD multiview and control system with Hatteland monitors. Communications run through Starlink and Sailor VSAT, with a Gecko helmet intercom keeping the deck crew in contact during working operations.

VONIN TWISTER TRAWL DOORS

The Quantus works a set of 12 square metre Twister trawl doors from Vonin. These doors combine exceptional spreading force with remarkable stability and high flexibility, and form part of Vonin’s smart doors concept.

That flexibility comes from a shutter system. Each door is fitted with upper and lower shutters that alter the flow of water passing between the sets of foils, giving settings for greater or lesser spreading force and allowing the doors to be set to seek up or down in the water column. A simple crank lets a single crewman adjust the shutters with the doors at the stern, with no shackles to move.

The Twister doors were put through a demanding testing programme and generated even better spreading force than Vonin’s earlier Tornado doors, squaring away fast as soon as they hit the water. Designed for low drag and high efficiency on the same flow booster principle, they carry a lift coefficient (CL) of 4.39, believed to be the highest of any trawl door on the market, with a CL to drag ratio of between 3.16 and 3.60 depending on the shutter setting and angle of attack.

TRAWL GEAR

The Quantus works pelagic gear supplied by Jackson Trawls. Her main net is a 1,200 metre pelagic herring trawl with a Helix self spreading front end and a braided nylon tunnel in a four and eight panel configuration. The design follows a net that has performed well aboard the MFV Altaire.

Jackson Trawls has also supplied a 90 metre Square Mesh brailer, a new patent pending design that has achieved strong results in improving fish quality. Developed mainly for the mackerel fishery, it works to reduce blood spots and speed up the rate of catch, and has been used successfully on herring as well. The brailer combines knotless square mesh, knotted T90 and knotted diamond mesh.

The package is completed by two 1,800 metre lengths of 40 mm Dyform warp wire, together with a full set of HMPE Dynice ropes for the bridles, lifeline, mooring, drum messengers and cranes.

KT Nets in Killybegs also supplied a 70 metre  Brailer to the Quantas

MAINTAINING FISH QUALITY

Product quality matters more than ever in the global pelagic trade. Much of the catch landed by Scottish pelagic vessels is exported to demanding markets worldwide, where quality has a direct bearing on value. To secure the best possible quality, the Quantus is fitted with three 1,100 kW FrioNordica refrigerated seawater (RSW) systems from PTG of Norway, designed to chill and hold the catch from the moment it comes aboard through to landing.

FrioNordica plants use ammonia as their refrigerant, the choice PTG makes for its larger installations. Ammonia carries the lowest power consumption of any available refrigerant and is regarded as the most environmentally friendly, while the system keeps a low refrigerant charge and takes up little space for its output. Delivered in standard sizes from 350 to 2,500 kW, the three units aboard the Quantus give ample chilling capacity for a vessel of her size.

At the heart of each plant is a J&E Hall single screw rotary compressor, whose balanced compression cancels out radial forces on the main bearings and allows overhaul intervals of up to 100,000 hours for low running costs. Capacity is continuously variable between 10 and 100 per cent, with variable frequency drives on the compressor and pumps and a spray chiller that works with a low ammonia charge and little risk of freeze-up. The heat exchangers use titanium tubes and tube sheets, backed by a 10-year corrosion guarantee on parts in contact with seawater, while the FrioLogica control system runs the plant automatically and can be monitored and updated over the internet. The units are built at PTG’s own factory in Norway.

The processing and storage systems have been designed to combine high throughput with careful handling, so that large catches can be managed efficiently without any loss of quality.

QUANTUS PARTICULARS

ELECTRONICS PACKAGE, QUANTUS PD379

Supplied and installed by Woodsons of Aberdeen.

MAIN SUPPLIERS, NEWBUILD QUANTUS