Neerlandia Urk has expanded its freezing capacity as well as its earnings with the installation of Northfield, Minn.-based Frigoscandia Equipment's Advantec impingement freezers.

Neerlandia Urk, a Dutch specialist in sole fish preparation, has expanded its freezing capacity as well as its earnings with the installation of Northfield, Minn.-based Frigoscandia Equipment's Advantec impingement freezers. The impingement freezer technology has taken the sole specialist from 500 tons/year to 50 tons/week. Reduced product weight losses are expected to pay off in six-digit figures annually, and the production area requirement is 40 percent smaller than originally planned.

Neerlandia was cautious about taking such a big leap forward. "We really agonized over this decision," recalls managing director Albert Romkes, who runs the business together with his brother Herman. "In fact, it took us almost a year to select the plant concept best suited to our needs. Of great importance to us were the practical tests with a number of fish varieties conducted by the team of experts from Frigoscandia Equipment here at our premises on Urk. The results were so promising that we continued the tests at Frigoscandia Equipment in Sweden. The outstanding results ultimately proved to be the decisive factor."

The Advantec freezer series incorporates impingement airflow technology, which has shorter freezing times to reduce fluid loss and improve the quality of frozen products. Neerlandia operates the freezer with Frigoscandia's low volume system (LVS) FrigoPak ammonia refrigeration unit.