Gael Force Group signs exclusive agreement with Nauplius Workboats to build steel feed barges
GAEL Force, the aquaculture equipment and technology supplier and accredited manufacturer NS 9415 has signed an exclusive agreement to partner with the Dutch shipyard Nauplius Workboats for the building of its range of SeaFeed steel feed barges.
It says partnering with Nauplius will enable Gael Force to strengthen and increase its barge building capacity while offering its customers favourable delivery times and a competitive package on its steel barges.
The Scottish aquaculture supply partner has experienced increased demand for barges this year and will continue developing and delivering a strong programme of new build and refurbished concrete barges from its main engineering yard in Inverness.
As part of the agreement, the structural build of the steel barge hulls, surface treatments and painting will take place at Groningen in the Netherlands, before being towed across to Inverness for mechanical and electrical full fit-out and installation of the SeaFeed system by Gael Force.
The barge range covers feeding capacities up to 800T with the ability to flexibly accommodate options for hybridised power and secondary machinery and processes.
The SeaFeed design is driven by Gael Force’s experience of building over 100 feed barges and the highly regarded ship building credentials of Nauplius, built in accordance with NS 9415 requirements.
Gael Force managing director Stewart Graham said: “Along with our own team’s experience in design and build, Nauplius’ levels of technical knowledge and overall experience in the sector offers us complete confidence that this partnership will bolster our robust and reliable range of feeding barges for fish farming.
“As both companies are running a lean cost base and are very efficient producers, we believe we have a high quality and highly competitive offering.”
“ While this increases our production capacity to meet strong demand and we envisage this to be of great benefit to our Scottish customers, there is also potential for us to service our international customers, particularly those producers in Norway, Iceland, and the Faroes.”
He added: “We are immediately building two 400T SeaFeed barges with one already pre-sold to a major Scottish salmon producer, which we will be able to announce later this month. There are a number of other customers already interested in the second build.”
Gerrit Knol, Technical Director and Naval Architect of Nauplius, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Gael Force on this long term collaboration in support of the aquaculture sector in Scotland, and overseas. Our ship design and build quality is already widely appreciated and we are pleased to bring our expertise into this partnership.”
Featured image – Left: Gerrit Knol, Technical Director and Naval Architect of Nauplius. Right: Stewart Graham, Managing Director of Gael Force Group.
A computer generated image of one of Gael Force’s steel feed barges on site
