St. John’s-based TriNav Marine Design has won a $500,000 prize from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Hull Design Efficiency Challenge.

Founded in the 1990s, TriNav is a consulting firm with offices in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The company sells services ranging from boat design tweaks to full engineering. It is part of the TriNav Group of Companies.

TriNav’s winning design for a more fuel-efficient fishing boat hull, called the E-FINN, beat out 18 competitors. There are more than 14,000 small fishing boats registered in Atlantic Canada, so reducing their fuel consumption stands to make a meaningful dent in Canada’s emissions.

“I would personally like to thank our team of Naval Architects who helped create the E-FINN hull design; their knowledge, as well as their hands-on experience in the fishing industry was very valuable,” said TriNave Marine director Rick Young in a press release. “TriNav Marine Design looks forward to further developing the E-FINN hull and completing our design.”

The Hull Design competition involved testing scale models of hull designs in an indoor tank. TriNav’s system included a hybrid diesel-electric motor.

Young told the CBC he expects the E-FINN hull to go to market in about two years.