Sølvtrans expands the fleet and prepares for further growth

Transcription

1 STOCK EXCHANGE NOTICE/PRESS RELEASE Date: 20 December 2012 Sølvtrans expands the fleet and prepares for further growth Sølvtrans has signed a contract with the Spanish shipyard Astilleros Zamakona for the construction of a new 3,200 m3 well-boat. Delivery is scheduled to early The vessel is a sister ship of Rojna Polaris, currently under construction at the same yard. Further, the company has entered an option for two additional vessels with delivery in second half of 2014 and first half of The investment, amounting to some NOK 250 million per vessel, will be funded through a combination of internal means and bank loans. The new vessels will be constructed according to the same specifications as Ronja Polaris and thus have state of the art technology and environmentally friendly solutions. - We experience an increasing imbalance in the well-boat market. A combination of new licences, continued consolidation and stricter regulations in the farming industry has increased demand for modern tonnage. The new build is a direct response to this development, and the options are core to the company s strategy to renew and expand the fleet, preparing the company for further growth, says CEO Roger Halsebakk. The choice of Zamakona as supplier is based on Sølvtrans good experiences from the ongoing construction of Ronja Polaris. The option for two additional vessels can be exercised until 30 June The contract is subject to financing. For more information about and pictures of the new vessel, please see the full press release enclosed, as well as the announcement regarding the contracting of Ronja Polaris of 9 March For more information, please contact: Roger Halsebakk CEO Sølvtrans Holding ASA Tel: Jon Kvalø CFO Sølvtrans Holding ASA Tel:

2 About Sølvtrans Holding ASA Sølvtrans Holding ASA is the world's largest wellboat company for transport of salmon and trout. The company is leading within "closed system" technology which positively affects the environment, animal welfare and cost efficiency. The fleet currently consists of 13 modern wellboats, which to a large degree are employed on long term contracts with leading fish-farming corporations in Norway, Scotland, Canada and Chile. Further, one next-generation wellboat is under construction to be delivered in June Sølvtrans was established in 1986 and has its head office in Ålesund, Norway. For more information, please visit:

3 Enclosure: Information about equipment/ solutions for new wellboats Information about for new wellboats The design of the new wellboats is developed by Rolls-Royce Marine AS in collaboration with Sølvtrans. The first vessel, Ronja Polaris, is under construction and is delivered in June The vessels will be state of the art when it comes to technology and environmentally friendly solutions, with low fuel consumption as well as emissions of Co2 and NOX. The design also includes improvements in fish welfare, coming from new and improved solutions for fish handling. The wellboats will have a capacity of 3000 m3 and are arranged for transporting up to 450 tonnes of live fish. The vessels will be fully equipped for transport in a closed system that does not discharge anything to the sea. Control of the water-flow and -circulation in the cargo compartments has been a priority when designing the vessels, to secure optimal conditions for the fish. The vessels are equipped with advanced filters and systems for collection and destruction of all lice. These will be the first wellboats in the market that filters the water through a 150 my filter. This prevents the penetration of lice and its eggs, and is thus very important in the combat of salmon lice. Sølvtrans has worked closely with Rolls-Royce over a long period to design these vessels. The effort has especially been focused on finding new and improved solutions for handling the fish and to construct vessels with good operational and environmental qualities. Rolls-Royce will deliver the ship design and the main equipment of the vessels in an integrated system. The vessels will be equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system with low fuel consumption and low CO2 and NOX emissions. The vessels will have medium speed main engines in the shape of Bergen C6 engines.

4 The vessels will be 76 meters long and 16 meters wide. The load capacity of 3000 m3 is divided into three equal cargo holds with sliding bulkheads and pressure system for loading and unloading. The vessels are built with single cabins for up to 11 persons. The vessels will be equipped with automatic sorting and counting system for fish during loading and unloading, disinfection system with the use of Ozone and complete systems for production, supply, supervision and regulation of oxygen and ph levels in the cargo holds. The vessels will also be equipped with automatic washing systems for disinfection and cleaning of the cargo holds, pipes and channels. This does not only reduce the workload for the crews, but it also makes it possible to always control and keep record that the vessels has been cleaned and disinfected. All water is recycled in a closed system, preventing emission of possible infections or diseases. As a result, the vessels, like Sølvtrans nine other closed vessels, are capable of transporting fish from the fish farms to the processing plants, with no spills in the sea of any kind. The "Gullestad panel" has provided guidelines for a more regionalized fish farming industry in the future, with strict limitations for open transport of fish across regions. This will favor Sølvtrans closed transportation technology, as included in this newly-ordered vessels.

5