Lifting and cranes
Uplifting examples Equipment for a marine setting needs to have exceptional endurance and reliability built in
L
i�ing gear for the fish farming industry needs to be able to operate reliably in some very challenging environments – even more so as farmers look to offshore, high energy loca�ons that are great for the fish but problema�c for equipment. It’s not surprising, then, that a company that has built up years of experience working with the offshore oil and gas sector is now applying that exper�se to aquaculture. Norway-based Techano has been working with customers in aquaculture for around three years now, star�ng with an enquiry from a fish farmer about standards for offshore cranes. Techano Sales Director Øystein Bondevik says: “We realised there was a huge poten�al in this market. Whether it’s for oil and gas or for fish farming, offshore cranes are exposed to the same elements.” The move to larger farms and more offshore, high energy loca�ons is driving demand for tough li�ing machinery. And like an oil rig, when an offshore farm has staff they need to be supplied as well. As more farms move offshore the industry is expanding, just as the energy sector did, and it is subject to the same level of safety regula�ons as the oil and gas industry. Techano have had to develop and modify their technology for aquaculture. For example, for Nordlaks’ Havfarm 1 offshore facility, the company built “train sets” where the cranes run on rails, so that one crane can reach several pens. The rail-mounted units are an established feature for cranes opera�ng at ports, but they have had to be adapted for offshore use. Havfarm 1 was constructed in China and was sailed to Norway last year. Covid-19 has created challenges for the industry, however, since it has been difficult to get personnel to the construc�on sites. As a result, Techano has been manufacturing some of its high-end equipment in Norway, despite the higher costs, to ensure that its own experts are on hand to oversee quality control. In Italy, meanwhile, HS. MARINE has become one of the leading suppliers of li�ing equipment to the aquaculture sector through addressing the industry’s specific needs. The company focused on reliability above all, especially given the par�cular challenges involved in opera�ng at sea. As the company’s founder and Managing Director Stefano Forni puts it: “Ours are not former truck cranes… [they are] cranes specially designed
54
INTRO - Lifting.indd 54
for fish farming.” HS. MARINE’s cranes are built for longer lifespan and easy maintenance, which means that while their purchase price is not the cheapest, the company argues that the total cost of ownership is compara�vely low. Moving aquafeed is one of the biggest jobs in fish farming. Danish transport solu�ons company FM Bulk Handling – Fjordvejs supplies ship loaders and unloaders designed to minise the impact of the transfer on the feed itself and on the environment., using “gentle handling” to minimise dust and wasted feed. Originally known as Fjordvejs Maskinfabrik, in February this year, the company announced it would be changing its name – because the original was hard for interna�onal customers to pronounce! FM Bulk Handling provides machinery for the transporta�on of bulk products including fishmeal, fish feed and grain. The company said it has tripled growth over the past seven years and, as part of this, its customer base has become increasingly interna�onal. The company’s Chief Execu�ve Officer Jeppe Bergmann Rasmussen also explained: “All the machinery we develop and manufacture is used in the management and processing of bulk products: fish feed, fish meal, lime, grain etc. Making ‘Bulk Handling’ part of our name is a more precise reflec�on of this.” The company’s headquarters and manufacturing facili�es are in Denmark and it has also opened a US sales office in Atlanta, Georgia. FF
We “ realised
there was a huge poten�al in this market
”
Top: Techano’s crane on Havfarm 1 Middle: Jeppe Bergmann Rasmussen Below: Havfarm 1
www.fishfarmermagazine.com
12/07/2021 16:10:21
