Smir will deliver 16 new lines to SalMar, indluding eight for the wellboat Ro Fjell, pictured, which is in the start-up phase. Photo: SalMar

Salmon giant SalMar doubles Hydrolicer capacity

Norwegian salmon farming heavyweight SalMar has ordered two new Hydrolicer delousing systems from Smir AS.

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SalMar, which co-owns Scottish Sea Farms, now relies on non-medicinal methods for nearly all its lice control. Hydrolicer accounts for most of the company’s mechanical delousing capacity, and since 2018 SalMar has succeeded in almost halving treatment mortality.

Smir will deliver 16 new lines to SalMar - eight lines for the wellboat Ro Fjell, which is in the start-up phase, and eight lines for the delousing barge Selma which will be delivered in the autumn.  

360 tonnes per hour

Each of the systems has a reference capacity of 360 tonnes per hour.

SalMar already has two deousing barges and a wellboat equipped with Hydrolicers. The new deliveries will more than double its Hydrolicer capacity.

Øyvind Nymark, general manager of Smir, said that SalMar had contributed significantly to the development of Hydrolicer since its inception, and that the company had been forward-thinking and not afraid to tread new paths.

“Smir as a system supplier depends on good interaction with such players, and the collaboration with SalMar is very highly valued,” said Nymark.

“SalMar also has its own well-drilled IMM (non-medicinal treatment) department with 50 employees, which is a key factor in the success formula.”

An exciting journey

Dani Edvartsen, operations manager at SalMar, said that the Hydrolicer system has developed a lot since inception, and that it had been both interesting and exciting for those who could be involved and contribute to the development.

“With Ro Fjell and Selma completely rebuilt, we will have very good capacity in SalMar,” he said.