Construction started on NovaNam and Lalandii’s three new N$150 million trawlers
At the beginning of October last year, Spanish fishing company Nueva Pescanova, promised the fisheries minister, Hon Bernard Esau, that its Namibian operation, NovaNam, will get three new trawlers in the next two years. This week that promised came a step closer to being fulfilled when the company announced the start of construction on the new state-of-the-art fishing vessels.
Two of the vessels are intended for NovaNam while its lobster affiliate, Lalandii, will commission the third. At a price tage of N$150 million per boat, the total investment, once the vessels have arrived and have been commissioned, will approach half a billion dollars. At last year’s announcement, the company said the investment was approved by the board to increase capacity at its Namibian factories. This week, NovaNam showed a 3D design of their new trawlers.
“The first vessel will be incorporated into the Lüderitz operations of Lalandii in 2019 and the other two vessels for NovaNam in 2020. All three vessels will be specially adapted to operate in Namibia’s waters, and to meet the specific value-add needs of the state-of-the-art processing facilities on land in Lüderitz,” NovaNam stated this week when announcing that the first steel has been cut to build the boats.
Together, NovaNam and Lalandii employs 2100 Namibians with another 300 working on the company’s freezer trawlers and in its Walvis Bay factory.
All three 50-metre vessels will be fitted with high-efficiency, low carbon emission engines, the latest onboard processing equipment and systems, as well as accommodation and facilities which will provide greater comfort and enhanced quality of life and working conditions for the entire crew.
