Ólafur Karl Sigurðarson, Hallgrímur Steinsson, Valþór Hermannsson, Lárus Ásgeirsson and Daði Pálsson at the signing of the agreement in Barcelona.
Photo: KAPP
The Icelandic seafood processing and refrigeration specialist firm KAPP has announced it will be providing an integrated control and information system to land-based salmon farmer Laxey.
The deal, which was formalised at the Seafood Expo in Barcelona last week, will see the technology firm design and develop the system, combining water quality monitoring with the control of other critical equipment, while providing a comprehensive overview of operations.
"The objective is to create a robust and user-friendly platform that supports safe, efficient, and data-driven operations," KAPP said, announcing the news.
“We are committed to delivering outstanding service to the aquaculture sector, just as we are to every industry we serve," said KAPP CEO, Ólafur Karl Sigurðarson, who, as reported by WeAreAquaculture, recently took over the helm of the company from founder Freyr Friðriksson, who is now board chair.
"Our collaboration with Laxey is an important milestone in that journey and aligns strongly with KAPP’s expertise in automation, control systems, and the development of solutions for technically demanding operations,” Sigurðarson added.
Hallgrímur Steinsson, Operations Manager at Laxey, described KAPP as "a company with extensive experience in aquaculture and industrial control systems," and added that the control system is "a critical component in maximizing productivity and quality."
Last week, Laxey also signed a major contract with AKVA group, committing to €28 million for the design and delivery of a new smolt facility in the Westman Islands, Iceland, with a production capacity of 15 million 100-gram smolts per year.
Heimir Halldórsson, Matorka CEO Christo Du Plessis, and Árni Páll Einarsson signing the agreement at the KAPP booth at the Seafood Expo in Barcelona.
KAPP also announced a second agreement formalised at the trade fair last week, striking a deal with Icelandic arctic char producer Matorka to supply a flake ice machine for the company's processing operations in Hafnarfjörður.
According to the companies, the new machine is part of Matorka's investment in its cold chain and raw material handling capabilities. KAPP said it has "worked closely together" with Matorka for many years, having previously delivered and installed equipment at the Arctic Char producer's facilities, including a slurry ice system, oxygen systems for aquaculture facilities, and pre-cooling equipment.
Last week, Matorka CEO Christo du Plessis confirmed to WeAreAquaculture that the company has secured €2.7 million through a private placement. Du Plessis said the funding, raised mainly from existing shareholders, reflects confidence in the arctic char farmer’s progress since the seismic events of late 2023 and will help fund further upgrades and biomass growth.