Since 1968, when a water pipeline was first connected between the Vestmannaeyjar islands and the mainland, the islanders have relied on access to fresh water through pipelines running along the seabed. The people of Vestmannaeyjar and the business community on the islands were starkly reminded of the vulnerability inherent in depending on such a connection for basic necessities in 2023 when the pipeline was damaged.
As a result, companies in the area invested in water treatment equipment capable of producing fresh water from seawater. The Processing Plant in Vestmannaeyjar invested in such equipment, and this led to the idea of whether the by-products generated during fresh water production could be utilised. The water treatment plant filters minerals and impurities from the seawater, leaving pure water. Among the minerals filtered out is salt, and the Processing Plant is at the same time importing considerable quantities of salt for salted fish production. It was therefore a natural step to investigate the possibility of using the brine generated during fresh water production for salted fish processing. The Processing Plant therefore enlisted Matís to assess the feasibility of this, and also received support from the LÓU Fund to finance part of the project. The aim of the project was to examine the feasibility of using salt from fresh water production for salted fish production with regard to food safety, yield, cost and sustainability.
The project has now been completed and the main findings show that the brine can be used in pre-salting without compromising product quality, colour or pH. Processing trials showed comparable results in terms of salt content in the final product, with no negative effects on yield or utilisation. Overall, the use of this brine could significantly reduce salt imports for salted fish production, which could lead to a substantial reduction in the cost of producing salted fish. Furthermore, a life cycle assessment (LCA) showed that using the brine can significantly reduce the environmental impact of production compared to conventional brine produced from imported salt. It is also an interesting finding from the project that it is cheaper to produce fresh water in this way than to purchase it from the mainland via HS Veitur.
The project has demonstrated that the use of brine generated during water treatment is a technically viable, cost-effective and more sustainable option for salted fish production. Further information on the project can be found in the project's final report, which is available here, on the project website or at willum@vsv.is , cecilie@matis.is or jonas@matis.is