Kongsberg winch for Faroe stern trawler

The package will include four EasyDRIVE electric trawl winches with SmartPΩWER Permanent Magnet (PM) motors which are said to improve reliability.

Hanus Hansen, chief executive and main owner of JFK said that previous contracts with Kongsberg have been focused on hydraulic low-pressure winches. “Since they can now offer electric trawl winches with direct drive, we chose to adopt this form of drive on our new trawler,” he said.

“Prior to concluding the contract with Tersan Shipyard, we consulted with the fishery company K. Halstensen and their crew on board the trawler Granit. They were early to install these electric winches and have gained several years of experience. The feedback from them has been very positive,” he added.

This will be the thirteenth stern trawler to be fitted with the system, which provides the ability to operate trawl winches via a motor connected directly to the drum. By eliminating the gearbox the risk of downtime or failure is significantly reduced. The system is said to bring additional benefits such as regenerative power and the ability to boost pulling force by up to 30% for short periods.

In addition to the trawl winches, Kongsberg Maritime will also deliver winch control and monitoring systems, and a variable speed drive.