Cooling with CO2

Kapp, the Icelandic liquid ice machine manufacturer, is revolutionizing the catch cooling process with eco-friendly saltwater slush machines running on CO₂

In the highly competitive seafood industry, freshness and quality are the top priorities for producers. One of the key factors that determine the quality of seafood is the initial rate of cooling, which hinders the growth of bacteria and microorganisms and determines raw material freshness. This is where OptimIce comes in, a revolutionary rapid cooling system that uses seawater to produce slurry ice on site, ensuring the quality of the catch is maintained.

Designed and manufactured by Kapp, OptimIce’s seawater slurry ice quickly cools fish down below 0°C without freezing, ensuring that the cold chain never breaks and the fish stays fresh at all times. With sales offices in different countries including the USA, Norway, France, Faroe Island, Russia, and Mexico, Kapp has built a reputation for highquality cooling systems that meet the needs of a range of seafood companies including whitefish, pelagic fish, salmon, shrimp, lobster and snow crab processors.

Cool your catch with OptimIce saltwater ice

The company offers a range of liquid ice machines that are currently being developed into applications that use carbon as the cooling agent, phasing out older agents that are not as environmentally friendly. The saltwater ice production and cooling principles will remain the same, a unique combination of innovation and industry know-how.

The unique properties of OptimIce saltwater slurry allow it to flow and completely envelop the catch, ensuring that it is rapidly cooled to below 0°C and kept at around -0.5°C. This rapid cooling inhibits bacterial growth, preserving the maximum quality of the catch. Furthermore, the cold chain never breaks with OptimIce, meaning that the fish remains fresh at all times, from the minute it enters the boat through transportation to processing.

Rapid cooling rate

“Our cooling rate is unprecedented; it only takes about one hour to cool down to 0°C while flake ice can take up 15 hours to cool the same catch,” explains Jónas Gunnarsson, Marketing Director at Kapp, “OptimIce is produced directly from seawater and is viscous, consisting of microscopic ice crystals that flow and surround the entire catch immediately. This extremely rapid transfer of energy is what differentiates our application from the typical flake ice applications.”

Fresher than flake ice

OptimIce has been extensively used in cooling and storing seafood for many years aboard vessels and in transport, showing prolonged raw material quality compared to flake ice. The fine texture of the ice ensures less markings on the fish and better preservation.

“Our comparison research and customer experience has shown us again and again that the quality is maintained far longer with saltwater slurry ice than flake ice,” explains Heimir Halldórsson, Sales Director

After fourteen days of cooling, the quality difference between slurry ice and flaked ice is apparent in the photos. The upper photo, taken of fish cooled with slurry ice, shows superior quality compared to the lower photo of fish cooled with flaked ice at Kapp. “After 14 days, the quality of fish that has been cooled with OptimIce is still evident, the fish is fresh and looks new.”

OptimIce allows the catch to be stored in drained containers, preventing the catch from laying in a liquid bath. When applied, the ice flows freely, completely surrounding the entire catch, and excess liquid is drained away, leaving uniformly distributed ice.

Years of customer satisfaction

OptimIce has been installed in numerous vessels worldwide, and its customers have found the system to be both reliable and efficient. According to Pétur H. Pálsson, Director of Icelandic fishing company

Vísir, they have used the OptimIce liquid ice system onboard their fishing vessels for years with great results. “Our experience has been outstanding,” Pálsson has said. “It gives us, without a doubt, better quality, longer shelf life, reduced labor hours and better price for our products.”

Less cost, better ergonomics and improved efficiency

The machines help fishing companies improve the entire cooling process and maintain catch quality until landing and processing. What’s more, by installing a system that produces liquid ice from seawater on site, fishing companies minimize the energy, effort and wear and tear of hauling hundreds of tubs of flake ice onboard ships. OptimIce takes less manpower, less electricity, less vessel load and eliminate the cost and effort of transportation, creating a more ergonomic working environment. Much better working conditions as fishermen no longer need to shovel flake ice manually onto fish tubs.

“We have a great example from our latest installation onboard Icelandic seafood company Brim’s 57-meter fresh trawler ‘Helga María’ RE-1, where our machine replaces a load of up to three hundred fish tubs full of flake ice that they had to haul for every trip,” says Gunnarsson “Now ice slurry is produced on board and simply sprayed over the fish using hoses. The fishermen no longer have to manually shovel flaked ice from tubs in storage, that took up space, added to fuel costs and were a dread to manage.”

Introducing a new line of eco-friendly CO2 OptimIce liquid ice machines

Kapp is committed to stay ahead of their client’s sustainability needs. This will be demonstrated by their new line of OptimIce CO2 that will be launched. The new product range offers several advantages in terms of environmental impact, sustainability and efficiency. The use of carbon as a cooling agent instead of freon is a truly ingenious way to minimize the carbon footprint. Unlike freon, which is a potent greenhouse gas, carbon has a much lower global warming potential and does not contribute to ozone depletion “We are excited to be participating in the energy transition process taking place in the industry,” says Halldórsson. “Other cooling agents are being phased out, CO2 is easily available, more eco-friendly and simply cheaper. Using carbon instead of freon you go down from between 2-4000 Global Warming Points to a mere 1. This is a great step towards a greener future.”

New machine for smaller boats

Kapp is also launching a new saltwater ice slurry machine at the expo. The machine is designed to provide high-quality cooling to fishing companies that operate small boats. “We are offering our innovative system to smaller boat operators in warmer areas of the world that have a need for fast cooling,” says Halldórsson. “Rapid cooling upon catch is crucial for maintaining freshness and preventing bacterial growth. The larger vessels carrying our systems have streamlined their cooling process with our technology and we want to offer the same efficiency, sustainability and quality to others.”

Good service is everything

As consumers increasingly demand quality and freshness, seafood producers must employ every viable means to meet these expectations. According to Halldórsson providing companies with exactly what they need, along with evaluating the catch itself, the volume and processing methods and then matching them with the right machines, is crucial. Not only do they need the right equipment, but they must also have the right support after installation. In his words, “good service is everything.” He firmly believes that regardless of how great a product may be, without proper service, it’s useless.

Follow through to the fishing grounds

Kapp’s client base spans the globe, with close collaboration with customers in Scandinavia, America, and northern Europe. The company is dedicated to providing its customers with the best products and services possible. According to Halldórsson they emphasize a high level of service in all their equipment installations “We are flexible and dedicated to ensuring efficient installations and great after sales services for all customers, no matter where they are located,” he explains. “A service engineer from us usually stays with a new installation for the first trip. They go along to make sure everything works perfectly and to support the crew in using a new application. We do not leave our customers until we know they are set up for success. “

The future of fish preservation

To meet the ever-increasing demand for fresh, high-quality seafood, producers must prioritize proper handling and efficient cooling methods. As a result of its unique benefits and properties, the OptimIce technology is fast becoming the preferred cooling system for seafood producers worldwide. With the latest addition of a sustainable range of CO2 seawater ice, the company is set to revolutionize the future of fish preservation.