Myklebust Awards Hydroniq a Contract to Deliver a Hull-integrated Seawater Cooling System

Norwegian shipbuilder Myklebust Verft has awarded Hydroniq Coolers a contract to deliver a hull-integrated seawater cooling system to a vessel the yard is building for wellboat company Sølvtrans.

The newbuild, no. 76, is the fourth wellboat that Myklebust Verft is building for Sølvtrans, which is the world’s largest wellboat company for transport of live salmon and trout.

Hydroniq Coolers has previously supplied the marine cooling system to the two Sølvtrans vessels, Ronja Ocean and Ronia Diamond, both of which were built at Myklebust Verft, plus the third Sølvtrans newbuild, Ronja Vest, which is currently under construction.

“Myklebust Verft and Sølvtrans’ strategy of capitalising on cost and operational synergies by building a series of vessels is both sensible and impressive. However, there was no guarantee that we would be chosen as supplier for all four wellboats. Myklebust Verft has continuously set high expectations with regards to ability to deliver and product quality, and we are pleased to have been able to meet those,” says Arnt Ove Austnes, sales manager at Hydroniq Coolers.

Hydroniq Coolers will equip the wellboat with its Rack seawater cooling system. The Rack seawater cooler differs from other cooling systems as it is integrated in the hull below the vessel’s main engine room, which frees up valuable space in the engine room.

Marine cooling systems are utilised to reduce temperatures in the ship’s engines and other auxiliary systems through use of seawater to avoid overheating of the engine and other critical systems.

“Wellboats typically operate with large loads and at low speeds. Our experience is that Hydroniq Coolers’ hull-integrated Rack system provides better cooling than traditional box coolers under such conditions,” says Tor Inge Nordmo, project manager at Myklebust Verft AS.

The newbuild wellboat is based on Kongsberg NVC 389 design. The load capacity is 4,000 cubic metres. Delivery of the wellboat is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Hydroniq Coolers will manufacture and assemble the seawater coolers at its headquarters outside Aalesund, Norway, and deliver it to Myklebust Verft located at Gursken in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The company has not disclosed the value of the contract.

Hydroniq Coolers is owned by Norwegian investment company SMV Invest AS (formerly Sperre Mek. Verksted AS).  The company’s name “Hydroniq” refers to regulation of temperature through utilisation of liquids.

Photo: a newbuild wellboat by Kongsberg