The Russian trawler Alexey Anichkin has been fishing, with a new ATW system from Naust Marine, at the Reykjanes Ridge this summer.
The installation of the system was completed in the port of Hafnarfjordur, hometown of Naust Marine, where the ship docked on its way to the fishing grounds in late May. From there two men from the Naust Marine, an experienced skipper and a technician, accompanied the ship to the Ridge for a sea trial. Fishing went well and as Alexey Anichkin was not on its way back to shore anytime soon the men got a ride back with the trawler Helga Maria.
Alexey Anichin is owned by FOR Fishing in Kaliningrad but was built in Poland in 1990. The ship is 85 meters long and its main engine is 5000 hp. Originally it had hydraulic winches but new Ibercisa MAI/6000 IS electric winches were installed in Kaliningrad last winter. The electric winches are connected to 355 kW AC motors controlled by AC frequency converters from Ansaldo in Italy.
The ATW system aboard the ship consists of frequency converters for AC motors, choppers that control reverse power into the burners and braking resistor from Danoterm in Denmark.
The system on board the Alexey Anichkin is different from conventional AC systems in that it uses braking resistors to get rid of reverse power produced when the system releases. This is not a solution Naust Marine recommends as it does not use the reverse power towards oil savings as in conventional systems. This was however done in this case at the request of the operator. As a result the system cost less, as much less control equipment was needed. Otherwise, the system is not very different from systems with full AUTO control of the trawl, which ensures that the trawl is always in the correct position and thereby enhances the ability of the trawl.
Naust Marine congratulates the owners and crew of Alexey Anichin on the new system.