Some days ago, Aker BioMarine reported a 23% increase in its krill production in the first nine months of 2022 compared to the same period last year. We have asked its CEO, Matts Johansen, what is behind this achievement, and he reveals the secret: "Increasing operating days", he says. Even with the scheduled maintenance of its vessels until November, the company is ready to meet its production expectations for 2022.
In its stock exchange release informing of the return to the shore of its krill harvesting vessels for scheduled upgrades and maintenance, Aker BioMarine also announced that its offshore production volumes in 2022 improved "considerably compared to previous years". The company reported that total volumes in the first nine months of 2022 were 50,100 MT, compared to 40,650 MT produced in the same period last year. "We are pleased with our krill harvesting operations this year. Our crew has done a great job of significantly increasing production whilst operating our vessels in a safe and sustainable manner", Johansen said then.
WeAreAquaculture wanted to know how the company achieved this significant increase. "Aker BioMarine operates the most efficient fleet in the industry and have succeeded to improve production by increasing operational days", Matts Johannsen explains to us. "In addition, we have taken measures to reduce downtime and improve logistics, for instance, our offload processes", he adds.
Although the krill harvesting vessels are undergoing upgrades and maintenance, not all of the company's ships are grounded. Aker BioMarine reported that the support vessel Antarctic Provider left Antarctica in early September, carrying Qrill Aqua for customers in Europe. The Norwegian company expects to restart krill harvesting in Antarctica during the second half of November 2022.
According to its CEO, this scheduled standstill does not seem to have an impact on its growth prospects. "We are set to meet our expectations to produce 55,00-60,000 metric tonnes and have taken into account the scheduled maintenance of our vessels", says Matts Johansen to WeAreAquaculture.
Aker BioMarine is a biotech innovator and Antarctic krill-harvesting company developing krill-derived products through two business segments: Ingredients and Brands. Under the Ingredients segment, the company develops krill-based ingredients both for humans in the nutraceutical and dietary supplement space, and for animal feed applications for aquaculture and pet food. The company, the world's leading supplier of krill, is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange (AKBM).