MS Ecofive: 2023 Ship of the Year
Powered by Bergen.

On 6 June 2023, Bluewild, Ulstein Design & Solutions AS and Westcon were awarded ‘Ship of the Year 2023’ for the factory trawler Ecofive.
The jury states that the ship solution offers ground-breaking technology with several innovations for a greener fishing fleet.

It is the first time that a fishing vessel has received this award. At the award ceremony at the Nor-Shipping exhibition, the Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Bjørnar Skjæran, announced the winner with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway present. Gustav Erik Blaalid, chair of the Board of Skipsrevyen, read the statement from the jury.

Bergen Engines are proud to have provided the main engines onboard, 2 x C25:33L9P, which are known for their extremely stable frequency, silent mounting and high power-to-weight ratio to ensure this vessel has many years of success.

THE JURY’S STATEMENT:
“The ‘Ship of the Year 2023’ goes to a vessel that offers revolutionary technology.

REDUCED EMISSIONS
The vessel is fitted with a hybrid propulsion system where the battery system has a capacity of 1,130 kWh. In addition to several energy efficiency measures, this will collectively provide at least a 25 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and emissions compared to a corresponding modern vessel of this type. The savings can be up to 40 per cent for some operations. The twin propulsion system with rudder nozzles is the most significant single area for energy efficiency. This alone reduces energy consumption by 15 per cent compared to conventional vessels of the same type. In addition, comes electrical winches, comprehensive heat recovery, and further energy efficiency measures.

TECHNOLOGY
The catch technology needs to take care of the raw material from the catch to the finished product.

• Gentle trawling and boarding where the catch will flow in below the waterline
• Live storage of the catch in waterfilled tanks at the reception system
• Processing of multiple products
• Even factory exploitation
• CO2 as a refrigerant provides a lower temperature during freezing and higher quality
• All residual raw material is recovered for use
• The shipowner and ship designers have used the technology in fish carriers and land-based facilities and merged this into a complete design package for onboard production.

Image: Ulstein / Bluewild

Facts about Ecofive:

• A trawler for whitefish and shrimp
• Shipowner: Bluewild AS
• Ship design: Ulstein Design & Solutions AS
• Shipbuilding: Westcon Yards
• Powered by: 2 x Bergen C25:33L9P engines
• Length: 73.2 m
• Cargo space of approx. 2,000 cubic metres

For more information:

• Ship of the year (skipsrevyen.no)
• The Ecofive concept for sustainable fishing – Ulstein

About Bergen Engines

Bergen Engines produces medium-speed liquid and gas fueled engines and generator sets to a broad range of land-based, commercial marine, and naval applications. The Bergen name is a watchword for quality and reliability in its field.

The tradition of engineering in Bergen, Norway, dates to 1855 when the original company Bergen Mekaniske Verksted (BMV) was founded. In 1946, the company built its first diesel engine and has since commissioned over 7,500 of its iconic liquid and gas fueled engines. Around half of them are still in operation today; such is the quality and reliability of a Bergen engine.

From 1999, Bergen Engines AS was owned by the British aerospace and defense group, Rolls-Royce plc. On 31st December 2021, the company was acquired from Rolls-Royce by the family-owned engineering and industrial group, Langley Holdings plc, and is now part of the Power Solutions division.