Everything is ready for the beginning of operations of the new Sardina factory in Ratac. Spread over 12,136 square meters, the factory has unique characteristics that make it one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Europe. The factory will help to achieve maximum quality of Sardina’s products, while also increasing energy efficiency. The superior quality of Sardina’s products will be enabled by high-end freezing and processing technologies. The process of freezing each fish individually, while protecting the fish with glazing, prevents oxidation, which gives Sardina significantly healthier and better products. Extremely low freezing (-47 °C) and preserving temperatures (-28 °C) enable a longer preservation period without the fish losing any of its quality. The freezing medium is now CO2, as opposed to more usual Freon, which damages the ozone layer, and ammonium, which is toxic. This new process will permit energy savings of up to 15%. Additional energy savings will be achieved by quick defrosting – in only 15 minutes. Introduction of up-to-date production lines for fish oil and fishmeal will close the production cycle of fish processing and permit the complete utilization of the fish that enter the plant without creating a potentially harmful waste.
The company will now start to use biomass (wood pellets and chips) with neutral CO2 emissions to run the production lines and heat the entire area. The air-conditioning of the entire working area will significantly improve working conditions and lead to the production of even higher quality processed products.