Aquaship | Intership acquires well-boat MS "Bjørg Pauline" from Nordlaks

Aquaship | Intership purchases the state-of-the-art well-boat MS "Bjørg Pauline" from Nordlaks. The vessel is leased back to Nordlaks, and all employees are offered continued employment.

MS "Bjørg Pauline" was delivered in March 2021. The vessel is the world's first well-boat with pure LNG propulsion, a battery pack, and shore power connection with large capacity. The technology reduces CO2 emissions by around 20 percent and NOx emissions by 90 percent.

Nordlaks and Aquaship/Intership agreed on the sale on Friday, June 21, 2024. The agreement involves chartering the vessel back and offering all crew members continued employment with the same salary and conditions.

"It has been important for us to ensure that all employees are taken care of. By leasing the vessel back, we also ensure continuity and that we will continue to have the same high quality on the well-boat side," says CEO of Nordlaks, Eirik Welde.

- Good Cooperation

AquaShip/Intership merged in December 2023 and is a leading global operator of service vessels for aquaculture. With this purchase, the company has a fleet of 40 vessels and nearly 700 employees operating in Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Norway.

"We have one of the world's most modern fleets, which is very well complemented by this boat. It fits with our growth strategy in Norway. We have a very good cooperation with Nordlaks today and look forward to working even more together in the future. Nordlaks is a company that is always driving innovation and development," says CEO of AquaShip/Intership, Ole Peter Brandal.

Nordlaks and  then Intership also entered into a similar sale and leaseback agreement for a well-boat in 2018. MS "Bjørg Pauline" is named after Nordlaks’ owner’s mother Inge Berg and will retain its name after the business transfer.

"The boat has a good name, which we are happy to keep and will be proud to have in our fleet," says Brandal.

About Nordlaks:

Nordlaks is a family-owned aquaculture company known for its commitment to quality, fish health, environment, and social responsibility. The company has its headquarters in Vesterålen, where it was established in 1989 by Inge Berg. Today, the company is the 11th largest in the world in terms of salmon production. Nordlaks operates its own farming, hatchery, and processing plants, maintaining full control over the entire value chain. With a strong focus on innovation and environmental responsibility, they have developed groundbreaking solutions like Havfarmen, a floating farming unit for open sea. Nordlaks exports to more than 40 countries and is a significant employer in the region, with over 800 employees.

About Aquaship/Intership:

AquaShip/Intership is an aquaculture service conglomerate with headquarters in Kristiansund and Hareid, offering a comprehensive set of maritime services to the world's leading salmon farming companies. With a fleet of 40 different vessels, including well-boats for live fish, support vessels, harvesting boats, feed boats, service boats, and three new boats under construction, the company has a significant presence in Norway, Scotland, Chile, Canada, and Ireland. The company aims to be a market leader in fish welfare, offering services all the way from smolt to grading, treatment, and harvesting. Through its high-tech fleet, equipped with innovative and state-of-the-art systems, AquaShip/Intership ensures safe, environmentally friendly, and sustainable handling and transport of live fish.