JSC Gidrostroy, a large fishing conglomerate located in the Sakhalin region of Russia, has contracted with Icelandic processing technology firms Frost, Rafeyri, and Skaginn 3X to upgrade its Kuril Islands pelagic processing facility with state-of-the-art technology.
Located in Russia’s Far East, Gidrostroy’s Kuril Islands factory processes approxmiately 300,00 metric tons of fish annually – approximately 30 percent of Sakhalin’s total catch. The factory will be equipped with technology to grade, pack, and freeze 900 metric tons of pelagic fish per day, primarily sardinella.
“This new state of the art plant will bring more jobs and thus will help further development of the Shikotan island” JSC Gidrostroy Owner Alexander Verkhovksy said. “After looking at several factories around the world it was an obvious choice to work with the Icelandic companies.”
The improvements being made to the factory include cooling and handling upgrades, along with patented freezing technology designed to improve the quality of the finished products, Skaginn 3X Managing Director Ingolfur Arnason said.
“The project is both large and important for both us and Gidrostroy, it all started last year when we sold and delivered a Skaginn 3X system, including key components from our Icelandic collaborator Style,”Arnason said, adding that “the results and mutual respect gained in that project was such that both parties where intrigued by working more together.”
The three Icelandic companies have previously worked together equipping fishing vessels with processing technology, and have partnered on updating several land-based factories. The companies formed part of Knarr Maritime, a more formal partnership announced at the 2017 Seafood Expo Global.
“The collaboration we have formed under Knarr Maritime is proving to be successful and is in fact bringing us to new markets previously not possible” Frost Sales Director Gudmundur Hannesson said.
In a separate announcement, Skaginn 3X AS has said it will open its Bodø, Norway office of 5 March. The office will be run by the firm's CEO, Magni Veturlidason.
