30 April 2026 – Last week marked an important milestone for FMV63, a new 5,000 m³ live fish carrier currently under construction for North Salmon Service.
The keel-laying ceremony was carried out at Marine Projects Ltd. Sp. z o.o. in Gdańsk, Poland, with representatives from North Salmon Service, MMC First Process AS, Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted AS and HAV Design in attendance.
The vessel is designed by HAV Design and is based on the HAV 595 platform. The design has been developed in close collaboration with North Salmon Service and will support a wide range of live fish operations, including transport, treatment and sorting/grading. In this project, HAV Design delivers an extended design package including modelling of major parts in the fish handling systems, while Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted is responsible for the detail engineering.
For HAV Design, the keel-laying ceremony marks the transition from the design and planning phase to a more tangible construction phase, where the vessel gradually takes physical shape.
– It is always a significant moment to see a project move from drawing board, development work and close dialogue with the client and yard, into actual construction. The HAV 595 platform has been developed to provide high operational flexibility, strong fish welfare performance and energy-efficient operations. We look forward to following the build further, says Kjetil Myren, Senior Designer Seafood at HAV Design.
The vessel is under construction for North Salmon Service. Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted is the building yard for the project, with Marine Projects as subcontractor for the hull.
With greater operational capacity than much of today’s live fish carrier fleet, HAV 595 is designed to meet future requirements in the aquaculture industry. The design aims to deliver high biosecurity, strong fish welfare, cost-efficient operations, reduced energy consumption and improved environmental performance.
– For us, this vessel is about being prepared for future requirements in the aquaculture industry. The combination of capacity, flexibility and solutions for the safe handling of live fish will be important for our operations going forward. We have had close and constructive cooperation with HAV Design, Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted and the other project partners, says Arnt Erling Paulsen, Managing Director of North Salmon Service.
The keel-laying ceremony marks a key stage in the construction process, where the project moves from engineering and preparation into a more concrete phase. For the project partners, this represents both a technical and symbolic milestone.
– The collaboration between Norwegian and Polish expertise has worked well, and the steel engineering has been delivered on time and with high quality. Building advanced prototype vessels is never straightforward, but so far challenges have been resolved in line with strong Norwegian shipbuilding traditions – through expertise and close cooperation between all involved parties, including the shipowner. FMV63 is a complex puzzle, and many involved are working hard and diligently to ensure a successful project – and one of FMV’s “Berre Goe Båtar”, says Hugo Strand, Yard Director at Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted.