Delivered in December 2025, the wellboat Inter Alba, from Trident Aqua Services, is already performing in Scotland.
Photo: Trident Aqua Services.
Norwegian company Trident Aqua Services announced today that its 93-meter live fish carrier Inter Alba—designed by Salt Ship Design AS and delivered from Sefine Shipyard in December 2025—entered service and successfully completed its first period of work. With a hold capacity of approximately 6,500 cubic meters, it is currently the largest wellboat in operation in Scotland.
The world's largest supplier of vessel services for the aquaculture industry added that this first work consisted of carrying out a combined treatment with fresh water and FLS for Mowi Scotland. "This vessel represents an important enhancement to our operations," said Ben Hadfield, Chief Operating Officer of Farming Scotland, Ireland and Faroes at Mowi Scotland, commenting on the performance.
Focused on fish welfare, careful handling, and high biosecurity standards, the Inter Alba boasts a substantial battery pack that, in combination with a heat-recovery system and other efficiency measures, significantly reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
According to a release from Trident Aqua Services, the fish-handling system was supplied by MMC First Process, and the vessel is equipped with an industry-leading freshwater production system capable of producing 15,000 m³ of freshwater per day. It added that a large-scale reverse osmosis plant supplied by Peter Taboada enables this production.
"We are very proud to see Inter Alba delivered from the shipyard and going directly into successful operation in Scotland," said Arild Aasmyr, CEO of Trident Aqua Services, appointed in May last year, following the merger of three leading maritime service providers Aquaship, Intership and FSV, which gave rise to the current company.
"This vessel represents an important milestone for our company and further strengthens an already broad and well-balanced fleet," he continued. "In Scotland, we operate a diversified range of vessels across different segments, capacities and sizes, allowing us to tailor our services to the specific needs of our customers. Inter Alba adds significant capacity at the high end of this portfolio and underlines our long-term commitment to the Scottish market."
Equipped, as mentioned, with high-capacity freshwater treatment, including FLS delousing systems supplied by Flatsetsund Engineering, the new wellboat will be able to perform gentle combinational treatment. Trident Aqua Services highlighted that, thereby, Inter Alba will be able to strengthen Mowi Scotland's capacity to manage biological challenges such as sea lice and Neoparamoeba perurans, the parasite responsible for amoebic gill disease (AGD).
A naturally occurring marine amoeba, AGD has become increasingly prevalent in Scottish waters due to rising winter sea temperatures. Freshwater treatments beneficially change the osmotic balance, effectively and naturally managing the condition, by busting the amoeba. In addition, the Inter Alba features a high-capacity filtration system capable of filtrating 52,800 cubic meters of water per hour, enabling efficient filtration and removal of sea lice and particulates.
"The freshwater treatment capacity strengthens our ability to manage fish health, welfare, and survival, while also supporting consistent product quality," Mowi Scotland COO Farming Scotland, Ireland and Faroes, Ben Hadfield, stated.
"It is very positive to already see Inter Alba in operation and delivering as intended, contributing to more efficient and predictable day-to-day operations. The vessel vastly reduces the need for licensed veterinary medicine use in salmon aquaculture, which is demonstrating Mowi's ongoing focus on minimizing medicine use and promoting natural solutions and the highest standard of fish welfare," Hadfield added.
