Malin Group Seeks to Support More Sustainable Shipping Solutions

Marine engineer specialists, Malin Marine Services, part of the Malin group, in partnership with The Scottish Salmon Company and HSSMI, have secured funding from the Seafood Innovation Fund to undertake an exciting new project to identify viable, cost-effective technologies for aquaculture work boats, whilst reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Using data from vessels currently operating across the UK, the project partners will interrogate the information to identify opportunities for reducing fuel consumption and operational inefficiencies. This will help meet the ambitious target set by the project of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from aquaculture vessels by up to 25% due to decreased fuel usage, resulting in annual emission and fuel cost reductions.

Once complete, the project will draft a fully costed proposal which outlines the economic, environmental, operational impact, and future benefits of the proposed solutions. It will also enable the Malin Group, to accelerate the development of their design and fabrication of an electrified aquaculture workboat.

This latest project builds on the team’s past experience in the renewables sector, having recently secured a £1m contract to supply a fifty-tonne wave energy converter.

Chris Dunn, Principal Naval Architect

Chris Dunn, Principal Naval Architect, said: “We are thrilled to be working on the LEWAS (Low Emission Workboats for the Aquaculture Sector) project, as it provides the opportunity to deliver a sustainable solution for the industry, whilst building on our expertise in designing and delivering bespoke, high specification equipment.”

“HSSMI is very excited to be part of the LEWAS project, as it presents a great opportunity to increase our exposure into the marine sector and use our knowledge and expertise in simulation, which has previously supported automotive manufacturers, to assist pioneering companies such as Malin Marine and The Scottish Salmon Company in decarbonising the aquaculture industry in the UK. We hope to establish long-lasting relationships with Malin Marine and The Scottish Salmon Company and continue supporting them in the design, build and deployment of hybrid and fully electric aquaculture vessels after the end of this project,” says Ross Sloan, LEWAS Project Manager.

Su Cox, Director at The Scottish Salmon Company said, “Though aquaculture already has a much lower carbon footprint compared to other forms of land-based animal farming, there is of course always a need to go further. Our sector has a collective opportunity to help meet Scotland’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and projects like this are vital in helping us progress towards this goal. We take our environmental management responsibilities seriously and this project is just one of many initiatives in place across our business to ensure we are doing all we can to reduce our carbon footprint.”

The Malin Group are also hopeful that research and development projects such as this will continue to be supported through their marine technology park. The Park, the first of its kind in Europe, will be developed on the upper Clyde at Old Kilpatrick and will be a centre of excellence for the marine industry, creating 1000 jobs. It will feature a large fabrication facility and a deep-water jetty with a 1,100 tonne ship hoist – the largest of its kind in Scotland – as well as dedicated space for research and development incubation.