Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 86

84 ICELAND REVIEW
Fishing trawlers have traditionally used hydraulic winches to haul
their massive nets in and out of the water. On a good day, when
they’re laden with tons of fish, there was simply no other winch
that was up to the job.
That has all changed thanks, in part, to Naust Marine—an Icelandic
innovation technology company that started researching electronic
alternatives as early as 1979 and has been in production since 1993.
Their success in creating electrical winches that are big, strong,
and reliable enough for even the biggest ocean trawlers is more than
merely swapping apples for pears (or cod for haddock, to keep it in
context), it is actually a really big deal, and good news for all involved.
USHERING IN A NEW ERA
Hydraulic technology is useful but old-fashioned, and the trawler
winches are dirty, expensive to run, and inefficient—while an electric
alternative can achieve an impressive 93 percent efficiency.
A trawler with a hydraulic winch often has 15-20 tons of oil-based
hydraulic fluid onboard, which can end up in the sea if there is a spill-
age or a hydraulic line failure. Naust Marine’s systems have no such
danger, as there is no compressed oil needed and electrical wiring is
discrete and shielded.
A very large fishing trawler can make around EUR 200,000 (USD
230,000) annual efficiency savings by switching from hydraulics to
Naust Marine electronics. That’s a worthwhile sum of money to be
saving, in anyone’s book!
Electric is the future and the fishing technology industry knows
it. But while many hydraulic winch suppliers are now dabbling in
electric as well, it is only Naust Marine which has the knowledge
and expertise built up over decades.
A TEAM TO TRUST
Naust Marine employs a dedicated team of 25 industry experts in
Hafnarfjörður, Iceland; as well as running a busy sales office in Se-
attle, US.
The fleet of over 100 ships now using Naust technology spans
the whole globe, with major fishing companies in the US., Cana-
da, Russia, Iceland, Chile, Argentina, and elsewhere among Naust’s
many happy customers.
There are currently five large new trawlers under construction in
Asia and Turkey for major Icelandic fishing companies; all of which
are being fitted with Naust Marine technology from new—though
it is also possible to retrofit older vessels.
Naust Marine offers a range of innovative solutions, including in-
dustrial controls, PMS for generator management (AutoGen), and
ESG for Electrical Spooling Gear—as well as acting as agents in
Iceland for big names like Omron and Fluke.
naustmarine.com
POWERING
THE ELECTRICAL
REVOLUTION
Naust Marine is at the forefront of a major shift in fishing technology
which is making fishing trawlers safer, greener, and more efficient.
SPECIAL PROMOTION
SEAFOOD ICELAND
CONFERENCE 2015