A complete processing plant has been ordered for one of the world’s largest krill trawlers and this represents a major breakthrough for Danish company Carsoe into the Chinese market for marine food processing.
Carsoe Denmark is to deliver a complete automatic distribution, freezing and packaging line for the one of the largest Krill trawlers in the World.
The 115 metre vessel is being built at the Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard Co. Ltd for Jiangsu Sunline Deep Sea Fisheries Co. Ltd. in Shanghai, and is due to start fishing in Antarctic waters in 2019. A dialogue and negotiations between Carsoe and the Chinese company have been in progress for nearly two years.
What is key for Carsoe is the fact that this is the first order for the Chinese market, according to Carsoe CEO Mikkel Jacobsen.
‘Companies in China manufacture freezing plants too, for onshore and offshore food processing. We apparently have something they don’t have in China, and I believe it’s our high quality horizontal auto freezer system. So this order may be of future significance to us,’ he said.
Two years ago Jiangsu Sunline Deep Sea Fisheries Co. Ltd. approached Carsoe and negotiations have been taking place in Denmark and China, with representatives of the Chinese company visiting Carsoe’s Aalborg production facilities.
‘Time is important when dealing with China. We have spent it well and we are pleased to say, that we have established a sound and confident relationship with our Chinese customer,’ Mikkel Jacobsen commented.
The new Chinese krill catcher will measure 115 metres and have accommodation for a crew of up to 99 on board.
The layout is for the catch to be sorted in an automatic distribution section and either frozen in blocks or processed as krill meat and Omega 3 oil.
The automatic distribution line and freezing line from Carsoe will have capacity to freeze 100 tonnes of krill per day.
Carsoe already has orders for several complete processing and freezing lines for new trawlers in Norway, Greenland and Canada, supplying automated freezing systems that require fewer hands while also minimising heavy and continuous lifting of frozen blocks.
