In recent days, two enormous distillation units have been installed in the new factory taking shape at Síldarvinnslan in Neskaupstaður. The units were fitted with pipes that, if laid end to end, would stretch about twenty kilometers.

The equipment was designed and built from scratch at Héðinn, and it took the company’s staff about three months to thread the pipes into the tanks and weld them in place.

The pipes were welded on both ends to plates, amounting to more than five thousand welds in total. First, a worker did the tack welding, after which a robot took over and circularly welded each pipe in place. In the video below, you can see one of the pipes being slid into position. In the next phase, presses and boilers will be installed.

The pipes were welded on both ends to plates, amounting to more than five thousand welds in total.

The new factory will have a processing capacity of 2,000 tons per day and is expected to be completed late in 2023.

The smaller factory is now up and running

Earlier this autumn, Síldarvinnslan completed the installation of a smaller factory from HPP Solutions, with a processing capacity of 380 tons per day. According to Síldarvinnslan’s website, the addition of the HPP factory creates a wide range of possibilities, as it can be operated on different raw materials from the large factory. According to Hafþór, Operations Manager of Síldarvinnslan’s fishmeal plants, all expectations regarding output and product quality have been met.
HPP produces factories that process high-quality proteins and oils from whitefish, pelagic fish, salmonids, and shellfish. They are built in different sizes depending on whether they are intended for vessels or land-based processing.

Icelandic Innovation

The HPP protein factory is an Icelandic innovation project by HPP that was developed at Héðinn over some fifteen years, drawing directly on the company’s extensive experience in the Icelandic fisheries sector. The uniqueness of HPP protein factories lies in the fact that they require about one-third less space than traditional fishmeal factories, contain roughly 30 percent fewer components, and consume 30 percent less energy. On vessels equipped with an HPP factory, not a single fin goes to waste — the catch is utilized 100 percent.
HPP factories are built in different sizes depending on whether they are intended for vessels or land-based processing. HPP protein factories have been sold to fishing companies and land processors in the United States, Germany, the Faroe Islands, England, Finland, France, and Norway. In Iceland, four HPP factories have been sold, including one on board the most advanced fishing vessel in the North Atlantic, Ilivileq, owned by Brim.

HPP Solutions became an independent subsidiary of Héðinn at the turn of the year, but has now become a fully independent company, with shares distributed to Héðinn’s shareholders.