On April 18, 2017, Wartsila announced that the technology group Wartsila has been awarded the contract to provide the propulsion machinery for a new purse seine fishing trawler ordered by Strand Senior AS, a subsidiary of Strand Havfiske AS based in Norway. The vessel will be built at the Karstensen Skibsvaerft shipyard in Denmark. The Wartsila order was booked in March 2017.
   In specifying that an innovative and highly efficient vessel was required, the owners specifically emphasised that the propulsion system should be centred on the Wartsila 31 engine. Guinness World Records has listed the Wartsila 31 as being the world's most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine. The best-in-class fuel efficiency of this engine means also that the exhaust emissions are correspondingly minimised.
   Wartsila will also supply a 2-speed gearbox, controllable pitch propellers, the HP-Nozzle, shaft generator, and the Wartsila's ProTouch control system. The Wartsila 2-speed gear solution provides additional fuel savings by enabling the propeller to be operated at low speed when maximum vessel speed or thrust is not required. It also results in reduced noise levels, which is important both for crew comfort and because the level of underwater radiated noise affects the efficiency of the fishing activities.
   "The Wartsila 31 engine is becoming a popular choice for vessels where operational efficiency is a key requirement. Already a number of new fishing vessels have specified the Wartsila 31 and we expect this trend to be increasingly emphasised over the coming years," says Stefan Wiik, Vice President, Engines, Wartsila Marine Solutions.
   "We wanted to build a new vessel that represents the future. For this reason we have emphasised high efficiency and environmental sustainability, and Wartsila was the obvious choice to meet these aims," says Janne-Grethe Strand Aasn?s, Managing Director, Strand Havfiske AS.
   When delivered in early 2019, the 75 metre long trawler will carry out commercial fishing operations, combining trawling and purse seining. The trawl fishing will be carried out mostly along the west coast of Ireland. Wartsila has earlier supplied propulsion solutions for other vessels in the Strand Senior fleet.