Fishing trawlers belonging to the Pescapuerta fleet. (Photo: Pescapuerta)

Pescapuerta aims to reduce energy consumption of its fleet

A fishing group from Vigo, Pescapuerta, has signed an agreement with the company Vicusdt, which specialises in energy audits in order for them to reduce the fuel consumption of their fishing vessels.

Pescapuerta, dedicated to fishing, which processes and markets frozen seafood products, aims to increase the energy efficiency of its fleet and further reduce the environmental impact of its activities, aiming for a sustainable development.

The agreement will result in them conducting a study to obtain energy consumption levels for each of their ships and from this, develop a proposal for solutions to save energy and fish sustainably.

At first, the study will focus on only two vessels, which are the larger freezer vessels of the Pescapuerta fleet, which fish for squid in the North-west Atlantic.

The operating profile of these vessels, including long trips to the fishing areas, makes the need to save energy imperative, during both sailing and trawling maneuvers.

According to Pescapuerta, fuel costs represent the largest percentage of operating costs of such vessels. One of them, a freezer trawler of 95 meters in length, uses about 160,000 kWh of energy per day.

Both ships will install a monitoring device to record energy data and permanently analyze the main figures of the power outpit, sending data back to land so that it can meet real-time system performance at offices owned by the fishing company.

Among the issues to be taken into account is the analysis of hydrodynamic propulsion, which is the main energy consumer and the ships hull drag, as well as the operation of the plant.

Vicusdt estimates that they can achieve a reduction of between 5 and 30 per cent in fuel costs.

In addition, they estimate that the investment could be recovered over a period estimated between three months and not exceeding five years.

The agreement between the companies is part of a long-term strategic plan for Pescapuerta, whose main objectives are to reduce the environmental impact of its activities, building on sustainable development and also reduce costs in the next 5 years.

Pescapuerta is the second largest national group in its industry and markets under the private label of Pescapuerta, Elmar, Pescar and Tunacor. In 2009, the Group reported a turnover of EUR 178 million and the sale of 70,000 tonnes of fishery products, of which 45,000 are self-produced.

The group from Vigo has a fleet of 25 ships and own three factories for processing frozen fish as well as a hundred delivery trucks.

For its part, Vicusdt, is a technology research company that has already studied 27 vessels from the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (Cepesca) and six fishing vessels from the Galician Guild Federation.

They also worked for companies such as Ibérica de Congelados (Iberconsa), Pescanova and HJ Barreras.

By Silvina Corniola
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	Av. García Barbón, 109 - 7º.
City:	Vigo
State/ZIP:	Pontevedra, Galicia (36201)
Country:	Spain
Phone:	+34 986 292 550
Fax:	+34 986 206 670
E-Mail:	[email protected]
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