REFRESHING aims to optimize the thawing process for frozen seafood, making it possible to transport fish by ship instead of by air, without compromising quality. This opens the door for strategic thawing hubs near consumers in markets such as the United States and East Asia, offering benefits like reduced food waste, lower costs, and lower emissions.
Background
The Norwegian seafood industry faces an important challenge: how to deliver high-quality products to distant markets without relying on air transport. Exporting fresh salmon results in high costs and significant emissions. At the same time, modern freezing technologies make it possible to preserve quality immediately after harvesting, enabling more sustainable transport solutions.
Norwegian salmon is in high demand globally and is currently shipped primarily by air to markets such as the U.S. and East Asia. By the time the fish reaches store shelves, it is often several days old. If the products are instead rapidly frozen and gently thawed near the end market, the quality can be just as good, or better, than fresh fish that has been in transit for a long time.
Figure 1: Estimated potential of REFRESHING
By exporting the fish frozen, sea transport can be used, reducing emissions by more than 90 percent. The freezing technology is already well developed, but without a precise and reliable thawing process, it is difficult to realize the full potential. Therefore, there is a clear need for an energy-efficient and predictable industrial thawing process close to the consumer.
About the project
REFRESHING is developing an improved industrial thawing process that enables large quantities of frozen fish to be thawed efficiently and predictably near the end market. The process is intended to deliver consistent quality, better shelf life, and lower energy use.
The main goal of the project is to reduce the footprint required for thawing by 25% and reduce energy consumption by 50% compared to current solutions.
To achieve this, the project will:
-
identify the factors that influence quality during thawing
-
improve models for airflow and heat transfer in thawing tunnels
-
develop a more efficient energy system
-
create control systems that provide precise and stable process management
-
assess technical and economic possibilities for full-scale operation
-
test solutions in industrially relevant facilities
-
create a roadmap for further development and rollout