20240216 – It is with great happiness that I post this news that Hraðfrystihúsið–Gunnvör hf. has signed a contract for the construction of a new full processing trawler with the Astilleros Ria del Vigo shipyard in Vigo, Spain. The vessel will replace the Júlíus Geirmundsson ÍS 270, which will be 35 years old this year. The trawler is named after my grandfather and I have had the opportunity to take the present Júlíus Geirmundsson as captain for two small trips back and forth from slipway. She will be the fifth vessel holding the name of Júlíus Geirmundsson.

The ship is designed by the Icelandic engineering firm Skipasýn in cooperation with the ship’s operators. She will be 67.1 meters in length and 16 meters wide, with a 3.600 kW Man main engine. The expected delivery time of the ship is in the latter half of 2026.

The new ship will be economical to operate and equipped with all the latest machinery available. Energy efficiency will be very high, based on a large slow-turning screw similar to another trawler of the company, Páll Pálsson, which has performed exceptionally well over the past six years.

In designing the ship, emphasis has been placed on good accommodation and working conditions for the crew. Thus, all crew sleeping quarters will be single occupancy and to ease the crew’s workload and increase efficiency, the ship’s processing system will rely heavily on automation.

Hraðfrystihúsið–Gunnvör operates two trawlers, has a fish processing plant in Hnífsdal, and a canning factory in Súðavík. In addition, a subsidiary of the company, Háafell, is engaged in salmon farming in Ísafjarðardjúp and is currently working on expanding its smolt station in Nauteyri by Ísafjarðardjúp.