Recently, a project was launched that aims to use electricity to heat air for drying fishmeal in an efficient way. In this way, it would be possible to achieve the goal of the fisheries sector to utilize only domestic energy in the production of fishmeal and to significantly reduce the import of oil for land processing.
Most of the Icelandic fishmeal factories were built during the herring years (1950-1965). In those years, energy saving had become an almost unknown concept and oil prices low, compared to what it is today. The fishmeal industry has used fire dryers, air dryers and steam dryers. The use of fire dryers is declining, however, as both air and steam dryers deliver increased quality in the final product as well as being more efficient in operation with regard to environmental pollution, energy consumption and production management.
The plan is to replace equipment that heats air with an indirect air dryer. As it is today, air is heated by burning oil in excess of air and heating the circulating dry air in a heat exchanger. As oil prices have risen in recent years due to exchange rate fluctuations and rising world markets, the preconditions for using oil have changed. Increased environmental awareness has also encouraged the use of renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels. There is a big difference in energy costs between the electric heater and the fuel heater, so it is believed that considerable financial savings are involved in using electricity for drying instead of black oil.
The electrification of fishmeal factories also provides an opportunity for the Icelandic fisheries sector to take a decisive global lead in climate issues. Thus, the Government's action plan on climate change estimates that the electrification of fishmeal production could save greenhouse gas emissions of 25-50 Gg, according to which the goal must be achieved by 2020.
Participants in the project are Héðinn hf., HB-Grandi hf. and Matís ohf.
The project is funded by AVS and is for 1 year. The project manager is Gunnar Pálsson at Héðinn hf. For further information, please contact Sigurjón Arason at Matís ohf., sigurjon.arason@matis.is.