From Liaskjeret to global innovation

By the seashore on Liaskjeret. On the island of Sotra. The Lie family built its traditional fishery in the early 1800s. Today, the Lie family continues to operate fishing vessels under the umbrella of Liegruppen AS, which also works in property development and service and trade.

fishing vessel
Picture credit: Libas © Salt Ship Design, 2020

There is no doubt that the deep roots tying the Lie family and their fishery to the Norwegian island off the coast of Bergen has played a role in their company’s environmentally friendly and sustainable operations.

Libas – LNG & Battery powered fishing vessel

With more than a century of experience fishing both Norwegian and international waters, the curious and motivated minds at Liegruppen AS have a long history of innovations in fishing technology and vessels. And their innovations always come with a strict focus on sustainable development.

This commitment to sustainability is evident in the two fishing vessels operating under Liegruppen’s banner – the M/S Liafjord and its sister ship, the M/S Ligrunn. Both ships have optimized hull lines designed to achieve the least possible sea resistance. And they make use of innovative propulsion solutions from Wärtsilä that contribute to good fuel economy.

Now Liegruppen is expanding their fleet with a third fishing vessel, Libas. Libas is scheduled for delivery in Q2 of 2020 and is a combination LNG & battery-powered seiner. Libas will be the first fishing vessel that runs on a combination of gas and battery propulsion. The vessel – designed by Salt Ship Design AS and built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey – will be 86 meters long and 17.80 meters wide. The deadweight is 4190 tons, and it can accommodate a crew of up to 16.

The innovative engine design for Libas is a combination of work from several companies at which sustainability and operational efficiency is a priority. MAN Diesel & Turbo will supply the vessel’s single dual-fuel engine and LNG tank. Corvus Energy will equip her 500kWh battery arrangement. And Wärtsilä will provide the vessel’s dual-fuel auxiliary engine.

Konomar and Zenitel

Through our long-term partner Konomar – based in Istanbul, Turkey – Zenitel has delivered a wide range of critical communication, entertainment and safety equipment for fishing vessel Libas. Konomar has worked on numerous newbuild projects both at Cemre and at shipyards around the world. They specialize in providing integrated, type-approved and certified systems for navigation, communication, data, safety and entertainment.

For Libas, Konomar delivered integrated communication systems from Zenitel and navigation and communication systems from other manufacturers.

The equipment provided by Zenitel is as follows:

In addition, Konomar provided a variety of specially designed equipment such as video server systems with the ability to present 6 different scenarios across 16 screens that connect with one another at the bridge deck station.