Putin Launches Gidrostroy Plant by Skaginn 3X

Russian president remotely activates state-of-the-art Gidrostroy plant from ceremony at Far East Economic Forum

Vladivostok, Russia, September 4, 2019 — Russian president Vladimir Putin ceremoniously launched yesterday JSC Gidrostroy’s state-of-the-art pelagic processing plant outfitted by Skaginn 3X. During a ceremony at the Far East Economic Forum in Vladivostok, the president used a remote activation system to turn on the plant, which is located on the island of Shikotan.

The new processing plant, which has the capacity to grade, pack and freeze 900 tons of pelagic product per day, is powered by a high-tech turnkey solution by Icelandic processing technology leader Skaginn 3X and partners Frost and Rafeyri.

President Putin was joined by Gidrostroy founder and chairman Alexander Verkhovskiy, who established the Kuril Island-based company in 1991 and has turned it into one of Russia’s largest pollock fishers and processors.

“We at Skaginn 3X are extremely proud to have the opportunity to participate in this historic modernization of Russia’s fisheries sector,” says Skaginn 3X Russian regional manager Pétur Jakob Pétursson. “This was a momentous project, exporting and transferring a 15-year legacy with extensive knowledge and innovation in the pelagic sector.”

“Our solution maximizes automation, gentle product handling and quality — triggering a competitive advantage that will undoubtedly result in increased demand and value,” he adds.

The 9,000-square-meter facility will be the largest and most automated pelagic fish processing plant in the region. It will spur job creation while streamlining processes and reducing waste. The plant’s innovative freezing technology from Skaginn 3X improves overall product quality, and Gidrostroy anticipates that the demand for its fish from mainland Russia and China will steadily increase.

At the signing ceremony last year, chairman Verkhovskiy expected that the new factory would bring more jobs and development to Shikotan Island, and after conducting talks with various technology providers around the world, it was an “obvious choice to work with the Icelandic companies.”

As a leader in onboard and onshore pelagic processing, Skaginn 3X has provided the technology for several facilities including the world’s largest pelagic plant, a facility for the Faroese firm Vardin, as well as a fully-automated system in a plant for Pelagos, which is also in the Faroe Islands. Eskja’s 700-square-meter plant in Iceland is also powered by Skaginn 3X solutions, now producing 900 tons of pelagic product per day. Likewise, a current project with Franco-Dutch fisheries firm France Pelagique is expected to close before the end of 2019.

France Pelagique has contracted Havyard Ship Technology to design and build a new trawler that will bring state-of-the-art technology to its pelagic fishing efforts. Skaginn 3X will outfit the new trawler, slated for delivery by the end of the year, with its proprietary technology for grading, packing, freezing and palletizing the vessel’s catch.

About Skaginn 3X

Skaginn 3X is an Icelandic innovator of high-tech processing equipment, with decades of experience in a wide range of solutions for food processors. Its mission is to be a leading company in the design and development of chilling, freezing and food processing solutions. Skaginn 3X has a team of dedicated, long-term employees with training and experience in fisheries, mechanical and electrical fabrication, software and engineering. Skaginn 3X has recently been awarded the President of Iceland Export Award, the Icelandic Innovation Award and several other noteworthy awards in the industry.

More information is available at skaginn3x.com

Hi-res logos are available for download at the About Us page: skaginn3x.com/about-us

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Bylgja Pálsdóttir, PR Coordinator
+354 894 9659
bylgja@skaginn3x.com

About JSC Gidrostroy

Gidrostroy is a unique fisheries industry holding company, which has no equivalent in Russia. The company has deep roots and a strong sense of social responsibility in the Kuril Islands where Gidrostroy employs 3,600 people, with an additional 1,500 jobs created during the fishing seasons. The company’s fleet catches around 300,000 metric tons per year utilizing sustainable practices, with an aim to preserve the marine ecosystem it operates in. It was the first Russian company to achieve the sought-after Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certificate.

More information available at gidrostroy.com.