11-Sep-2023

The Berlin NC 107 has arrived in Norway

DFFU's new vessel, the Berlin NC 107, has completed a trip from Braila, Romania, and arrived at VARD's site in Brattvåg, Norway, where the construction of the new build will be completed. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for January 2024.

The new ship, a one-stern trawler with all the latest equipment and technology onboard, will be the latest addition to the fleet of Deutsche Fischfang Union GmbH (DFFU). The new vessel will replace an older ship, the Baldvin NC.

The building of the vessel hull and installation of the main components took place at VARD's site in Braila. Towing the vessel from Romania to Norway was a complex process because of the war in Ukraine. Part of the usual route from Braila would have included sailing past Ukraine's borders in the Black Sea. The course needed to be changed for risk-related insurance reasons, and local vessels towed the ship to Tulcea, where the main VARD site is located. There, the Pegasus tugboat, operated by Harms Bergung Transport, took over and completed the trip to Brattvåg.

In Brattvåg, the vessel enters the final phase of the shipbuilding process, including the installation of the factory, accommodation, cranes and engine and bridge equipment. After all the equipment has been installed, connected, and adjusted, the vessel will be commissioned, where various service engineers and the vessel crew will thoroughly test all equipment and systems.

Baldvin Thorsteinsson, director at DFFU and chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alda Seafood, says that delivering the Berlin NC 107 to Brattvåg is an important milestone.

"We are relieved this unusual towing route of the vessel was successful. The ship looks excellent. VARD has done a good job, and we expect the vessel to be delivered on time in January next year. This new ship will create new opportunities for us and more operational flexibility. It will allow us to broaden our list of caught species, which is important because our main species, cod, has decreased substantially in the last few years. The new ship, which will be more fuel efficient than older vessels, will be equipped with new sustainable production methods that allow the full utilisation of the raw materials in each catch, which will reduce waste. Finally, the new vessel will bring positive changes for the crew in the form of a more comfortable working environment and better accommodation," says Thorsteinsson.

See more information about the vessel and its technical specifications here.

Foto 3 Das Team Des DFFU Bessere Auflösung

From left: Pétur Erlingsson, fleet manager at DFFU, Hördur Arnar Másson, chief engineer on the Berlin NC and Baldvin Thorsteinsson, director at DFFU and chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alda Seafood, in front of the vessel at VARD's site in Brattvåg.