New feed mill in Scotland delivers on plan

Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 and Brexit, our new state of the art feed mill in Scotland delivered on our strategic aim to be self-sufficient for all feed requirements in Europe.

Based in Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye, the feed mill started production in the spring of 2019. After successfully completing the commissioning phase, working closely with regulator Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), it moved into full production in 2019.

With a team of 70, most of them local, the feed mill produces the full range of feed required by Mowi’s operations in Scotland, Ireland and the Faroe Islands. It will also deliver seawater and freshwater feed to the Norwegian operations.

Kyleakin produces feed for our freshwater, seawater and organic farms. When operating at full capacity, it can produce up to 240,000 tonnes of feed pellets a year. In 2020, the team at the feed mill, under the leadership of Feed Operations Director, Claes Jonermark, was able to adapt work patterns to meet with government requirements relating to Covid-19 and ensure that enough feed was produced to mitigate against any potential disruption posed by Brexit.

Investment in Scotland

The construction of the feed mill at Kyleakin was a significant investment for the company. Upwards of £100 million was spent on the construction of the feed mill, which was designed to be as efficient as possible, take account of future requirements of the business and reduce our dependency on road freight.

A cornerstone of the infrastructure at Kyleakin was the refurbishment and extension of the pier. This enables us to receive delivery of raw materials to produce the feed and despatch the final product by sea.

With the recent completion of LNG commissioning, the feed mill now also produces with lower carbon emissions. The LNG is also delivered by sea.

Much of the infrastructure is unique to Kyleakin Feed Mill including the unloader which features a carbon filter to remove odour from the tiniest of particles and ducting to ensure that air from both the raw material side as well as the processing side is passed through the biofilter to eliminate odour.

Since it has been operational, the team has worked closely with the local community to have open lines of communication and respond to any concerns. Two site visits for the community have taken place and over 50 people attended an open day to find out more about Mowi and salmon farming as a whole as well as the feed mill operation specifically.

Collaboration with Norway

The feed mill at Kyleakin is an excellent example of the power of collaboration that is possible at Mowi. The team from the Valsneset feed mill in Norway has been involved in every step of the journey at Kyleakin. From applying for permits, meeting politicians in Scotland, hosting political delegations from Scotland at our feed plant in Norway, the construction phase and frequent communication since the site has been operational, the collaboration between the teams at the two sites has been strong.

Learnings from Valsneset also led to the production of feeds that are of a consistently higher physical quality yet, whilst improving operational effectiveness and reducing waste.

Strong team

In the early days, some of our experienced team from Norway relocated to Scotland to support the new feed mill. Thanks to shared learning, training and further collaboration, most of that team have now returned to Norway and the majority of staff are local to Kyleakin. Creating local employment is an important part of our commitment to Scotland.

Producing healthier salmon

The guiding principle for salmon feed is that every single pellet must deliver 100% of what the fish needs, every day. Our aim, therefore, is to produce robust, sustainable, high quality salmon using the widest available spectrum of raw materials in the most efficient way possible.

What a year it has been! We have had challenges and successes, but the constant has always been a great team at both our sites, in Kyleakin and at Valsneset. I firmly believe that we embody the notion of One Feed, One Mowi. I am extremely proud of this and I know it will stand us in good stead for challenging times ahead as we continue to face global uncertainty caused by the far-reaching impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Claes Jonermark, Feed Operations Director

The feed mill in Scotland has substantially increased the scope of products that we are now manufacturing and introduced diversity in the product mix as we tailor our products to meet the different needs of salmon product offerings including Label Rouge, Irish Organic Salmon and the MOWI Pure bespoke salmon.

Having two feed mills gives us complete control of the supply chain. By determining the raw material, recipes and nutrition used in the feed we can ensure we produce the healthiest salmon possible. Going forward our Feed operations will grow in line with our farming operations in order to stay self-sufficient. Furthermore, Mowi Feed will continue to focus on operational improvements and cost optimisation.