Marine Harvest’s new USD 20 million (EUR 16.2 million) processing plant in Chile is being seen as a signal that the industry has recovered from the infectious salmon anemia (ISA) crisis.
Marine Harvest will start building the Puerto Montt plant in late December, and expects it to be fully operaitonal during the first quarter of 2016. The plant will have the capacity to produce a whopping 65,000 metric tons (MT) of product in 2016, and the capacity will increase to 90,000 MT in 2019. In addition, 300 new jobs will be created.
The new facility signals a major step forward for Marine Harvest in Chile after the ISA outbreak, Roberto Riethmuller, manager of Marine Harvest Chile, told SeafoodSource.
“During the ISA crisis, Marine Harvest was forced to close three processing plants and one smoked plant [Delifish]. It caused a significant reduction of jobs. But today, the industry has recovered its production capacity. Therefore, it’s important to make the proper investment in order to maintain a sustainable long-term operation.”
Now, Marine Harvest is eyeing further expansion and acquistions in Chile and Norway. “We are always seeking good opportunities for consolidation in Chile,” Riethmuller said.
Meanwhile, the global processor is working with “leading technology providers” worldwide on the plant’s equipement and systems.
“It is too early to say anything about the details, but the new salmon processing facility will feature advanced equipment and systems that will allow us increasing its production capacity and improve the standard of our products,” Riethmuller said.
