Scottish aquaculture equipment and technology supplier Gael Force announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with Dutch shipyard Nauplius Workboats for the construction of its range of steel feed barges. As part of the agreement, structural construction of the barges' steel hulls, surface treatments and painting will be carried out in Groningen, The Netherlands, before being towed to Inverness, Scotland, for full mechanical and electrical outfitting and installation of the SeaFeed system by Gael Force.
Gael Force Group has experienced an increase in demand for barges in 2023 and this agreement with Nauplius looks set to be key to meeting that demand. The company said the agreement will enable it to strengthen and increase its barge-building capacity while offering its customers favorable delivery times and a competitive package on its steel barges. This is in addition to the fact that the company will continue to develop and deliver new-built and refurbished concrete barges from its main engineering yard in Inverness, Scotland.
"Along with our own team’s experience in design and build, Nauplius’ levels of technical knowledge and overall experience in the sector offers us complete confidence that this partnership will bolster our robust and reliable range of feeding barges for fish farming," said Stewart Graham, Managing Director of Gael Force Group. "As both companies are running a lean cost base and are very efficient producers we believe we have a high quality and highly competitive offering."
Gerrit Knol, Technical Director and Naval Architect of Nauplius, también se mostró muy satisfecho con la asociación de ambas compañías. "We are delighted to be partnering with Gael Force on this long-term collaboration in support of the aquaculture sector in Scotland, and overseas," he said. "Our ship design and build quality is already widely appreciated and we are pleased to bring our expertise into this partnership."
The Managing Director of Gael Force Group emphasized that the combined experience of the two companies will give them a competitive advantage for their customers. "While this increases our production capacity to meet strong demand and we envisage this to be of great benefit to our Scottish customers, there is also potential for us to service our international customers, particularly those producers in Norway, Iceland and the Faroes," Graham stated.
Gael Force's range of barges covers feed capacities up to 800 tonnes, with the ability to flexibly accommodate hybrid power options and secondary machinery and processes. Its SeaFeed design draws on the Scottish company's experience in building more than 100 feed barges and the prestigious shipbuilding credentials of Nauplius Workboats, which, as mentioned, will handle the structural construction of the barges' steel hulls, surface treatments, and painting.
The aquaculture equipment and technology company from Scotland is already building two 400-ton SeaFeed barges, one of which is already pre-sold to "a major Scottish salmon producer" the company will announce later this month. According to Stewart Graham, there are also "a number of other customers already interested in the second build."
Employing 170 people, Gael Force Group is an established partner in the supply of equipment, technology, and services for the farming and catching of seafood. The company has designed and built over 100 feed barges in Scotland and internationally for over 23 years, and it is celebrating 40 years in business this year. Headquartered and with engineering facilities in Inverness, it also has facilities in Forres, Barcaldine (Oban), Kishorn Forres, Barcaldine (Oban), Kishorn, Plymouth.
Established in 2006, Nauplius Workboats is a main contractor, as well as able to assist with vessel development. The company operates worldwide and can deliver turnkey vessels, execute conversions, or build-in components in existing systems on board of vessels. Headquartered in Groningen, the Netherlands, its flexible supply chain allows it to rely on its extensive experience while remaining sensitive to local conditions.