Skaginn 3X has successfully installed a brand new Turn Key saltfish processing line for Norebo’s Polar Sea+ using remote supervision with live video, chats and online meeting apps due to Covid 19 travel and meeting restrictions.
The international Covid-19 epidemic has required everyone in the industry to adapt and create new ways of working. Installing an entire plant for Polar Sea+ remotely via video chats and online conferencing was a challenge that Skaginn 3X and their subcontractors in Murmansk, Russia did not shy away from.
Modern, high-capacity saltfish factory
“The facility is the largest of its kind in the Northern Atlantic, with a capacity of producing 50 tons of salted cod per day,” says Pétur Jakob Pétursson Skaginn 3X’s Director of Sales Operations for Russia. “Installing a new processing line in the middle of the worldwide Covid 19 epidemic was no simple task but the three teams involved rose to the challenge. All of us had to adopt to the new reality of travel restrictions and procedures to secure the safety of our employees."
Remotely supervised installation
The usual process is to send a team of supervision installation experts to the site and work with local skilled workers to finish the installation. Due to COV-19 this was not possible but the deadlines were still in place. Both Skaginn 3X and Polar Sea+ had experience working with a local subcontractor. The solution was to create a remote installation plan and work together to execute it.
Automatic, even production flow for high-quality saltfish
The state-of-the-art automatic processing line is designed for gentle product handling and flexible brine mixing. Using the RoteX™ thawing solution with the SplitX™ frozen block separator, the system thaws the product for optimal preservation of quality.
From thawing to salting and packing, the system is efficient and flexible. The brine mixing system is fully automatic with adjustable brine strength that can be easily adapted to deliver the desired product result. Skaginn 3X’s automatic tub handling and cleaning system rounds out a fully automatic production flow that is even and reliable.
Planning and improvisation
The installation required planning, adaptability and a flexible approach to that worked around standard procedures. “This installation was something completely new for us. It was something neither we, nor anyone else for that matter, had done before,” says Guðjón Helgi Ólafsson, Skaginn 3X’s project electrician. “There is no instruction manual for a situation like this. We had to improvise and create a strategy that worked around the restrictions brought on by the virus.”
Testing, coordinating, installing
The three teams worked well together, using all the tools at their disposal to install this massive processing plant successfully. At Skaginn 3X’s locations in Iceland, teams worked around the clock to fine-tune and then rigorously test every single element that went into the production line before shipping.
Patience and professionalism
In Murmansk Polar Sea+’s deputy director Yuliya Krivoshlykova took the lead and managed the team on the ground supervising the setup on their end with patience and professionalism. “Our client and our collaborators have very capable and professional staff that went above and beyond to see this through,” says Guðjón. “And, yet again, we see the importance of testing rigorously at home before shipping any equipment as instrumental to the success of this novel installation.”
Working with live video calls
“We communicated via live video and their phones became my eyes on the ground,” Guðjón explains. “This was the only way to see how the installation was progressing and to monitor the process. We were also able to execute the startup remotely from Iceland through an online server. We were able to test the equipment and make sure everything ran smoothly, which was a triumphant moment for all of us.”
True teamwork
Skaginn 3X would like to thank the local teams working on site for excellent work. Without their well-coordinated effort none of this would have been possible. “All team members had a common goal and put a real effort into being on the same page, says Karl Daði Lúðvíksson, Skaginn 3X Project Manager. “I cannot praise all parties enough.
The combined effort between Skaginn 3X, Polar Sea+ and the highly skilled subcontractor succeeded in creating one of the largest saltfish factories in the world during an incredibly challenging time.”
“We will continue to work closely with Polar Sea+, support them in their success as one of the major white fish producers in the North Atlantic and a leader in white fish production in Russia,” Pétur concludes.
