Bergan, Norway-based seafood processor Sotra Fiskeindustri has contracted with Garðabær, Iceland-headquartered equipment supplier Marel to produce a whole fish grading and salmon and trout fileting line which will feature Marel’s MS 2750, the firm’s most advanced fileting machine.
Sotra Filleting Department Manager Oystein Noremark reported that the Marel machine’s capabilities paired with its low environmental impact made it the obvious choice for their business.
“We had the machine on site and tested it and compared it with other machines it was up against, and we were surprised how well it performed,” Noremark said. “The MS 2750 not only excelled in yield and throughput, but also stood out as the most environmentally friendly machine on the market, using less water and power than its competitors.”
Sotra CEO Trond Helge Nygaard added that the machine’s small size also added to its appeal, allowing it to easily fit into the company’s existing processing site.
Sotra processes 60 million pounds (30 thousand tons) of salmon and trout a year, supplying customers in Norway and globally. This recent partnership with Marel began in 2023, when the company identified a need to expand its capacity and increase its efficiency in the fileting department. After extensive trials of the MS 2750 at its facilities, Sotra adopted the fourth-generation fileting machine, which can process up to 25 fish per minute and reduces water use to a comparatively low 15 liters per minute.
Marel is a major global supplier of equipment and integrated systems for the seafood industry and food processing more broadly. In early December, Chicago, U.S.A.-based John Bean Technologies Corporation (JBT) received regulatory clearance to proceed with its attempt to acquire the company, which has been ongoing since late 2023. The deal, if it goes through, is expected to be settled within five days of 20 December 2024, the date at which the JBT offer period will expire.
