The Finnish equipment manufacturer Wartsila Marine has been contracted to design a major krill vessel for the Chinese firm Shanghai Chonghe Marine Industry (CMI), which, at 140-meters in length, will be the largest in the world once completed.

It appears that the vessel will be a sister ship of a vessel set to be operated by Shanghai Kaichuang Marine International, a 115-meter krill trawler called Shen Lan, which is understood to be nearing completion, according to Wartsila.

The new vessel, which will be operating in the waters of Antarctica for extended periods of time, will be outfitted with an onboard processing facility, as well as the latest krill fishing gear, Wartsila said. The added size should also increase the efficiency of its operation, the vessel designer added.

"Together [with CMI] we have developed the outline for this new vessel, which will be 10 meters longer than any other krill trawler in operation today," said Tomaz Nabergoj, director of ship design at Wartsila. "It will also be designed for optimal operational efficiency and environmental compliance, as well as enabling the very latest in fishing and processing methods,”

The initial vessel design is to be completed during the second quarter of 2020, Wartsila said, with delivery of the completed vessel expected to take place in 2023.

"We are excited to announce our plans for the world’s biggest and most advanced krill trawler," added Laurent Wang, CEO of CMI. "Wartsila was a natural choice for us, following the excellent collaboration in designing the Shen Lan."

https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2020/04/03/chinese-fishing-firm-orders-worlds-largest-krill-vessel/