Markus, Polar Seafood
Catching and processing 9000 tonnes of shrimp and 3000 tonnes of mackerel per year requires a high degree of automation throughout the entire vessel. Freire Shipyard has finished building “Markus”, the first of two imposing and highly automated super-trawlers for Polar Seafood and Qajaq Trawl.
Rolls Royce Marine has designed “Markus” and it is built to withstand the ice and cold of the Arctic waters. It has an innovative propulsion system and the processes on board are highly automated. The “Markus” automation comprises “first level” solutions, indicates Guillermo Freire, owner of the Freire Shipyard. The objective was to decrease operating costs and improve processes. The automation is not limited to processing the catch, but also the management of the ship, the engine room and the rest of the ship services are automated, making “Markus” a very efficient and cost-cutting vessel.
Being the preferred supplier of cleaning solutions for Polar Seafood trawlers, System Cleaners has also supplied the equipment on board “Markus.”
The solution consists of a relay-controlled RBS 25-10 booster system, nine electro-polished S2 satellites and nine hose reels with hoses. The RBS boosts water up to 25 bar and supplies it to the S2 satellites located in strategic places on the factory deck of the trawler. The booster system is screened from the harsh conditions of the processing environment in a separate technical room.
The S2 satellites feature two separate outlets, one for foam and one for disinfectant. The separation renders the mixing of the products impossible, making the cleaning job simpler. All main parts of the satellites are electro-polished to prevent corrosion triggered by the salty ocean air.
The cleaning solution apply low-pressure technology with boosted water. Compared to high-pressure solutions, this technology produces significantly fewer aerosols due to the nature of the water jet’s impact on the surfaces. This improves the work environment for the staff and it is an enormous advantage when working in a closed and limited space below deck on a trawler. Fewer aerosols also reduce the risk of re-contaminating the surrounding environment with microorganisms carried in the aerosols.
Additional benefits to low pressure cleaning with boosted water are:
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Reduced cleaning time due to greater and more effective impact of water jet
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Reduced water and chemical consumption
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Less wear on processing equipment and affected surfaces compared to cleaning with high pressure
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Low maintenance and service requirements
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Better heat transmission = more effective rinse effect
The installation of the cleaning solution on board Markus is the result of a cooperation between Polar Seafood, Freire Shipyard and System Cleaners.