Skretting boosts efficiency with online NIR technology

NORWAY – To enhance feed production efficiency and quality control, Skretting, in collaboration with Skretting Aquaculture Innovation, has successfully launched an online Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) project at its Stavanger plant in Norway. 

This cutting-edge automation, implemented in mid-2024, represents a significant leap forward in feed analysis, saving time, reducing costs, and streamlining operations.

Skretting, which produces over three million tonnes of feed annually across its 18 global facilities, has long relied on NIR technology to perform rapid and accurate nutritional analyses of feed ingredients and products. 

The company typically conducts 600,000 samples through 60 NIR instruments annually, generating more than three million analytical results. 

However, the traditional manual approach, requiring process operators to collect samples and run scans at intervals, was labour-intensive and time-consuming.

To address this challenge, Skretting Norway teamed up with Skretting Aquaculture Innovation to develop an online NIR system designed to automate sample collection and perform feed analysis without human intervention. 

According to Ørjan Breivik, NIR Team Lead at Skretting Aquaculture Innovation, the goal was to free operators from time-consuming chemical analysis tasks, allowing them to focus more on monitoring feed production.

With the introduction of online NIR technology, analysis frequency has dramatically increased, providing a larger and more accurate data set for each feed batch. 

The result is a more consistent product, reduced rework, and greater efficiency. Additionally, this automated approach allows process operators to identify and address any issues that arise during production quickly.

Thanks to more frequent and accurate analyses, Skretting has seen notable improvements in product homogenisation and raw material optimisation at its Averøy facility. 

Hilde Roald, Skretting’s Manufacturing Director, highlighted the new technology’s significant impact: “We have reduced the time spent on quality control of finished feed and vastly increased the number of analyses, leading to better precision in our feed formulation. Since raw materials account for 80% of feed costs, these improvements directly impact our competitiveness.”

The project’s success in Stavanger has prompted Skretting Norway to invest in a second machine, further confirming the value of raw material optimisation in driving cost savings and enhancing feed production processes. 

As Breivik notes, the new technology is a time-saver and a strategic investment that delivers long-term benefits.

Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE.