BLAR MHOR TRANSFORMATION PROVIDES A HEALTHY BOOST

Blar Mhor transformation provides a healthy boost.  Mowi’s Blar Mhor processing facility in Fort William has been transformed recently, upgrading its operations to allow them to continue providing sustainable and nutritious salmon for the nation.

The transformation is enabling Blar Mhor to break records for fish numbers and volume, with a peak of 10kt expected in our busiest months ahead.

To give an insight into the scale of the project to upgrade the Blar Mhor site, Scott Nolan, Sales and Processing Director, shares details of the upgrade and the innovation within it.

“This was a complex and ambitious project – constructing around the old factory, moving into the new extension while refurbishing the original facility. We added 5,000m² of new floor space, then removed the dividing wall and seamlessly integrated the equipment across both areas. Sounds easy, but it wasn’t!

“The detailed planning, coordination and determination shown by the Mowi team and our suppliers was outstanding. We managed to keep disruption minimal, shutting the plant for just two weeks during a quieter period. Our main building contractors, TSL and The HF Group, showed real flexibility and a can-do attitude that contributed significantly to the project’s success.

“The result is a modern facility combining cutting-edge innovation with proven, reliable equipment. We’ve installed six Baader 144 gutting machines equipped with AI-powered camera technology as part of the grading process, alongside three Baader 142 machines and a dedicated hand line for fish not suited to automation.

“Two Marel graders – each capable of processing up to 120 fish per minute – are supported by two bulk bin graders with the same capacity. The bulk bin graders allow us to efficiently pack fish in our sustainable, returnable packaging, primarily for supply to our value-added plant in Rosyth.

“Feeding the Marel graders is a Micro system that distributes boxes to various packing lines. From there, the process is fully automated: fish are placed into boxes or ‘bins’, labelled, iced, lidded, strapped, passed through metal detection, and then palletised via our Samey robotic system. DFDS then transports the chilled pallets to our customers. Our Samey robots are now consistently handling over 90% of the boxes produced.

“We’ve also upgraded our cleaning systems, installing state-of-the-art equipment from Aquatiq to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and efficiency.

“As with any upgrade of this scale, challenges remain, but the Mowi team and our partners continue to tackle them professionally, delivering improvements week by week.

“I’m incredibly proud of the facility we’ve created, and we’ll keep striving to innovate and enhance it further. Just four months after start-up, we achieved BRC AA+ accreditation with no non-conformances, a testament to the strength of the systems and people in place.

“One of the key reasons we chose to keep primary processing at Blar Mhor in Fort William was because of our experienced team – and that decision has been more than justified throughout planning, construction, installation and commissioning. I’d like to sincerely thank our staff for their professionalism, dedication and focus in getting the facility to where it is today.

“We continue to break records for fish numbers and volume – and we will keep this momentum going in the weeks, months and years ahead.”