Newly refurbished and extended pier means both ingredients and the final feed product can be transported by sea, keeping road haulage to a minimum.
In a press release, Mowi writes that its new pier facilities at Kyleakin Feed Plant were officially opened on Wednesday by local MP, The Right Honourable Ian Blackford.
The salmon farmer said that its opening marks a major milestone in the journey towards final completion of the feed plant which is currently undergoing testing as part of its commissioning phase. Both ingredients and the final feed product can be transported by sea thanks to the pier, with less reliance on road haulage needed.
Delivery
The pier is used for the delivery of fuel and ingredients for the feed, as well as for the collection of the feed pellets for distribution to Mowi salmon farms.
It is 147 metres long from the quayside and 20 m wide, 50 m long at the North facing end and 45 m long at the North quay face. It can accommodate up to four vessels at any one time on the four working areas. The water depth allows vessels up to 7000 DWT (Dead Weight Tonnage) to berth.
Control the entire process
The development of the feed plant at Kyleakin is part of Mowi’s overall strategy to control the entire process from feed to fork in order to safeguard the quality of the product, improve efficiency and stabilise costs.
Mowi wrote that the plant uses liquified natural gas (LNG) which produces much lower carbon emissions than other fossil fuels. The LNG store at the site is the largest in Scotland and second only to the Isle of Grain, Kent in the UK. The salmon afarmer added that feed ingredients are sustainably sourced, much of it from trimmings from fish processing plants who source their fish from well-managed fisheries.
Mowi built its first feed plant in Norway and hopes to build a third plant in Canada to support its salmon farming operation there.
Mowi Project Director and Global Engineer Mick Watts who has overseen the project from its inception said: “We’ve been delighted at the warm reception we’ve received from the community and would like to thank them for their patience over the last few years.
“It’s also been great to build such a strong team here on-site and we’re particularly pleased we have been able to provide employment for so many local people.
“This is a big step forward for us as the pier facilities are an integral part of the company’s investment on this site. We’re also hopeful the plant will be finished in the coming months.”
Important role
MP Ian Blackford congratulated Mowi on completion of the pier facilities, saying: “We should never underestimate the importance of the salmon farming industry to this part of the world. We are passionate about creating opportunities for young people and their families to live here and the salmon industry is playing an important role in that. Food and drink are an important part of Scotland’s economy going forward and salmon is now our largest food export.”
Kyleakin will produce fish feed to supply Mowi’s salmon farms across the western Highlands and Islands of Scotland, as well as Ireland, Norway and the Faroe Islands. It will provide for a range of salmon diets including organic feed for Ireland and Scotland, as well as specialist broodstock and freshwater feeds. The plant has the capacity to produce 170,000 tonnes of feed pellets a year.
