Sólberg ÓF1 in port at its home base in Siglufjörður, Iceland
Almost three years ago, the freezer-trawler Sólberg ÓF1 was the first fishing vessel to incorporate a Hedinn Protein Plant (HPP). We talked with Ólafur Marteinsson, managing director of Rammi fishery about the lessons learned, profitability and more.
„The HPP has turned out to be very profitable as we only need two additional crew members to operate the fishmeal and fish oil production,“ Marteinsson says.
Unloading fish oil from Sólberg ÓF1 at Siglufjörður port.
HPP Protein Plant Solutions
Almost three years ago, the freezer-trawler Sólberg ÓF1 was the first fishing vessel to incorporate a HPP Protein Plant Solutions. We talked with Ólafur Marteinsson, managing director of Rammi fishery about the lessons learned, profitability and more.
„The HPP has turned out to be very profitable as we only need two additional crew members to operate the fishmeal and fish oil production,“ Marteinsson says.
„The fish oil we produce onboard was certified for human consumption this February, which adds to the profitability of the HPP,“ Marteinsson says. The certification process took some time and effort, but is worth it due to the higher price, he adds.
The HPP onboard Sólberg has a 50-ton raw material capacity per 24 hours. Fishing expeditions usually last around 30 days. Marteinsson says fishmeal and fish oil storage fills up before or around the end of the tours. „One lesson we have learned is not to underestimate the production capacity of the HPP,“ he says. „If we were to commission a new ship, we would account for more generous storage for added convenience.“
The quality of fishmeal from Sólberg‘s HPP is excellent due to the freshness of the raw material, with protein content ranging from 62-67%, according to Marteinsson. All output is sold domestically in Iceland.
The HPP onboard Sólberg has turned out to be very profitable. Ólafur Marteinsson, managing director of Rammi fishery.
The HPP Protein Plant Solutions onboard Sólberg is tightly fitted and hard to photograph in its entirety.
As can be expected, being the first fishing vessel to employ the Hedinn Protein Plant, adjustments and modifications had to be made during the start of operations. „Being the first customer of HPP operations at sea, we experienced various hiccups to start with. However, we worked very closely with Hedinn‘s HPP experts on solving issues that arose, and we have been very satisfied with their level of competence and helpfulness,“ Marteinsson concludes.
Fishmeal sacks being unloaded from the meal storage onboard Sólberg.
About the HPP
The Hedinn Protein Plant is a ground-breaking new processing plant for producing high-quality fishmeal and fish oil at sea or on land. Its compact design makes the best use of limited space on board. The Hedinn Protein Plant enables fishmeal and fish oil production in a more economical way than earlier equipment would allow. The plant runs on electricity and steam, providing for clean and efficient operation with a high degree of adjustability.
HPP makes it possible for fisheries to fully utilize all parts of the catch, simultaneously adding to sustainability and valuable production.
The innovative plant design simplifies the production process, while at the same time improving quality, by reducing the number of main components, process tanks and control parameters in comparison with conventional processing plants. This significantly reduces operating costs, energy use, manpower needs, floor space requirements and use of cooling water.
Link to a video about Sólberg on the Rammi fishery website.
