Key features of this production facility are as follows:
- Fully automated process cycle for salmon processing.
- Increased production volume after refurbishment.
- The plant is designed for receiving 300 tons of raw material and freezing 250 tons of fish products per day.
- Square area of freezing workshop: 1,800 sq. meters. Power rating: 1,350 kW.
- Number of staff per shift: 80.
After this upgrade, the fish processing plant owned by Vostochnoye became the first production site of Khabarovsk region where a fully automated process cycle for salmon processing has been implemented. The grand opening ceremony was attended by Governor Vyacheslav SHPORT who visited the site in Innokentyevka personally.
In essence, this is the most up-to-date fish processing facility using only domestically manufactured equipment in Khabarovsk region.
The decision to undertake a large-scale upgrade project (in fact, construction of a modern facility in the place of the old existing plant) was prompted by the 2013 flood on the Amur River. That disaster seriously damaged the old building erected back in 1930s and partly destroyed flood control structures.
Another consideration adding stability and allowing for development planning was allocation of fishing areas on a long-term basis. The company decided to build up its output times and large production volumes always mean continuous flow production process. Partial modernization would not be sufficient to accomplish this goal. That’s why an integrated design was selected aimed at full refurbishment of the plant. Despite large scopes of work, erection of the building, designing of the fish processing plant and provision of equipment for it took just a few months. Tear-down of the old workshop started on September 22, 2014 and new equipment was launched on the newly built premises already on July 15, 2015. Salmon run season operations started in time and in a fully ready condition.
The upgraded plant of FIC Vostochnoye is intended for processing of all salmon species and production of a full range of primarily processed fish products. Its receiving capacity is sufficient to handle up to 300 tons of raw material per day. Fish is transported by a conveyor to the main workshop where all further processing stages are performed: sorting by species, gutting, washing and freezing. Processing is performed by Russian-made multi-purpose process lines – slot conveyors. This equipment is easy in operation and does not require special skills; due to its optimal workplace organization, this actually manual process is fast and results in as high quality as possible. Manually extracted roe does not contact with waste and is immediately directed to the automated roe processing workshop. Salmon milt is also used in production.
The roe processing workshop of FIC Vostochnoye may be considered unique for its process line: Technological Equipment Company engineers have created a full set of equipment for automatic roe screening. It yields 15% more of finished product than its best Japanese-made analogs even operating on such perishable feedstock as fish processors in Khabarovsk region do. Russian engineers have obtained a patent for this equipment.
The plant incorporates a modern freezing facility. Its new-generation equipment is environmentally safe and efficient in operation.
Fish is frozen to –28°C in two hours. This allows for shortening freezing time and increasing production rate. In total, more than 350 million rubles was invested in plant modernization. After reconstruction, its production volume grew to 250–270 tons of finished (frozen) products per day.