A high-capacity processing plant formally opened by Murman Seafood in Murmansk last week brings together that latest technology to process portions to the highest quality standards.
Working with either fresh or frozen groundfish such as cod, the highly automated Murman Seafood factory can deliver both traditional block frozen as well as individually quick frozen portions.
“The factory and its staff are already showing their capabilities to deliver product quality on a par with the best on the market in Europe,” said Kristján Kristjánsson who was Valka’s leading process designer and consultant to Murman Seafood for the factory project.
As well as designing the new processing plant, Icelandic company Valka was also the main contractor, delivering
trimming lines, automated water jet cutter for pin bone removal and portioning as well as various graders, packing equipment and Manufacturing Execution Software.
The Murman Seafood factory also incorporates a filleting line from Vélfag, a mince production line and IQF system from Skaginn 3X, and cooling and fluid ice systems supplied by Kapp, all form Iceland, while Scandinavian companies Cabinplant, Seagain, Hillerslev and DSI are also part of the high-tech installation.
“Starting up a new factory like this in the middle of a pandemic is truly a challenge. Several items have taken a longer time than originally expected,” Kristján Kristjánsson said.
“However, the professional management style of Murman Seafood along witjh the excellent and continuing co-operation with suppliers made it possible to start production of high quality fish products. Murman Seafood are taking a very professional approach to starting up the new factory and we can already see the determination to have the best product quality, and this focus leads to the most efficient factories. I am proud to have worked on this project with the great people in Murman Seafood and I can already see that they will have a long-term success.”
The Governor of Murmansk Region Andrei Chibis along with representatives from the Federal Fisheries Agency, the Federation council and speaker of the regional Duma Sergei Dubovoy attended the formal commissioning ceremony. Iceland’s ambassador to Russia Árni Thór Sigurðsson made a speech – in Russian – highlighting the achievement made possible by strong co-operation between Icelandic technology providers such as Valka and forward-looking companies like Murman Seafood.
