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Cutting Energy Costs in Pelagic Processing

Feb 28, 2023

Years of cooperation between Denholm Seafoods and SKAGINN 3X, now a member of BAADER, has resulted in yet another milestone contract. The two companies have signed an agreement for the development and installation of a pioneering turnkey pelagic system at the Denholm processing facility in Peterhead, Scotland. Joined by experts from SKAGINN 3X, BAADER is set to deliver a new system and concept layout that will automate the entire pelagic processing cycle at the facility. The SKAGINN3X state-of-the-art pelagic solution, not least the unique way of freezing products, has already proven its efficiency and value for large processors in the sector.

A 3D rendering of the Denholm Seafoods pelagic processing system designed by SKAGINN 3X

Serious energy savings

With energy prices soaring, the Scottish pelagic industry is seeking different ways to alleviate the pressure of the current processing environment. "We are looking to increase automation and capacity while saving on energy and packaging costs,"says Richard Duthie, Managing Director, Denholm Seafood Limited. "The SKAGINN 3X turnkey pelagic system incorporates this, as it is highly automated and uses freezing methods that are more economical than what 'we've seen in the sector before. We hope to increase sustainability and maintain the quality of the products we offer".

Jónmundur Valur Ingólfsson, Sector Responsible for Pelagic Solution, SKAGINN 3X

Maximizing raw material utilization and quality

Pelagic fishery is carefully controlled, and the seasonal raw material is valuable. Therefore, Denholm Seafoods aims to improve raw material utilization and maximize quality, yield, and efficiency.

"We are very excited to bringing more automation into the Scottish pelagic industry", says Jónmundur Valur Ingólfsson, Sector Responsible for Pelagic Solution at SKAGINN 3X. "It's been a great collaboration project with the Denholm team, and together, we have created a solution and a layout that will increase efficiency, improve yield and lower operational costs".

The Denholm system is designed to be fast and efficient

The system for Denholm Seafood is designed to process herring, mackerel, and blue whiting. Depending on species and raw material, it will only take about six hours from the time the raw material enters the factory through cooling, sorting, filleting, and weighing into freezing, packing and palletizing", says Ingólfsson. "Like all of our pelagic systems, this one is flexible and can be easily expanded and added to according to future needs".

30-40% less electricity use with non-pressure plate freezing

Non-pressure plate freezing replaces the traditional blast freezing in this innovative system. "We've seen between 30-40% less electricity use with the plate freezing method, which responds to the impact of dramatically increasing energy costs," says Ingólfsson."By introducing a new freezing method at Denholm, we are not only looking at better product quality but also a lower carbon footprint, improved sustainability and substantial energy savings".

A big production with a small footprint

The Non-Pressure Plate Freezer is a fully automatic, high-capacity freezer with short loading and freezing time with precision temperature control. "Faster freezing translates into less drip loss and less evaporation from the fish, keeping product quality intact and delivers firmer, fresher product at thawing", says Ingólfsson."This line requires less packaging and has a smaller footprint than similar systems. For example, a system processing 1,000 tons per 24 hours will only need 3,000 m2 of floor space".

Ticking all the sustainability boxes

The agreement with SKAGINN3X and BAADER is yet another step in the ongoing effort of Denholm to boost automation and sustainability in their operations. Thanks to the system's new freezing method, reduced packaging and leaner production processes, Denholm will be able to offer quality products at competitive prices while reducing their carbon footprint and conserving resources. The teams in Iceland and Germany look forward to bringing innovative automation to Scotland's pelagic industry.

Visit baader.com for more info on the integrated product portfolio for pelagic processing.

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BAADER