Recently, CIMC Raffles and Pelican Aqua Holding Plc officially signed a construction contract for four 5,000 m³ Live Fish Carriers (LFC) along with options for up to six additional vessels of the same type. The series is scheduled for delivery starting in 2029. This marks the first live fish carrier series project secured by a Chinese shipyard from the advanced Northwest European market.
The vessel design is provided by Salt Ship Design and the ships will be equipped with advanced live fish handling systems supplied by MMC First Process to meet the operational requirements of the Norwegian and international markets for modern and green fish transport equipment.
As a key focus of modern global marine fishery equipment in recent years, live fish carriers face higher requirements in terms of fish welfare, biosecurity, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. This project will combine advanced Nordic operational concepts in fisheries with CIMC Raffles’ high-end shipbuilding capabilities to create a new generation of modern, high-standard live fish carriers.
Gunnar Winther Eliassen, Chairman of Pelican Aqua, commented: “We hold the professional capabilities of CIMC Raffles, Salt Ship Design and MMC First Process in high regard and we look forward to close collaboration among all parties to build modern, future-oriented live fish carriers.”
In recent years, CIMC Raffles has maintained a strong focus on the high-end marine fishery equipment and offshore engineering markets and has established long-term, stable partnerships with a number of Nordic shipowners, design firms and key equipment suppliers. Prior to the Pelican Aqua project, CIMC Raffles has successfully participated in several internationally leading fishery and marine farming projects, including the world-leading “Norlaks Havfarm 1” deep-sea intelligent aquaculture platform, and the construction of an advanced Antarctic krill carrier for Aker BioMarine.
These representative projects have fully demonstrated the company’s comprehensive strengths in the design, construction and system integration of complex offshore engineering projects and high-end vessels, including advanced fishery equipment.
Li Minggao, Vice President of CIMC Raffles and Chairman of Longkou Base, stated:
“We are pleased to have been selected as shipyard for the Company for this landmark transaction. Pelican Aqua combines a strong industrial platform with a modern vessel design focused on high-quality delivery, operational performance and safety. Together with Salt Ship Design and MMC First Process, we believe these vessels will represent a strong and modern offering to the aquaculture industry. CIMC Raffles will continue to actively support the sustainable development of global modern fisheries through innovative and reliable marine engineering equipment.”
CIMC Raffles will continue to deepen cooperation with high-end Nordic customers and industrial partners and actively promote the development of the global marine fishery industry towards green, intelligent, and efficient operations.
