– delivers the first complete thawing hub to Los Angeles
MMC First Process has signed an important strategic contract with ICEFRESH for the delivery of the first complete thawing hub to the United States. The facility will be installed in Los Angeles in early 2026 and will have a thawing capacity of nearly 30 tons of seafood per day, operating in two shifts.
The agreement marks a new chapter in a collaboration that has been ongoing for nearly two years between MMC First Process, Hofseth, and ICEFRESH, aimed at developing a full-scale thawing tunnel. The prototype has been operational at Digerneset in Ålesund for one year, where it has been continuously developed and optimized for industrial purposes.
The new ICEFRESH thawing hub consists of three thawing tunnels, with complete delivery from MMC First Process including the energy system, thawing tunnels with infrastructure, unpacking and packing stations, as well as racks, crate handling, automation, and control systems. The solution is scalable, allowing for significantly larger volumes to be handled in future expansions.
Groundbreaking technology for sustainable seafood distribution
ICEFRESH has spent over 20 years developing groundbreaking thawing technology that thaws frozen seafood in an energy- and time-efficient way while preserving quality. The vision is to change how seafood is distributed globally by reducing the need for air freight, resulting in a significantly lower climate footprint.
Reduced food waste
In addition, the technology offers major benefits in reducing food waste, as seafood can be thawed just one day before being sold in stores. This makes the solution resilient to fluctuations in demand and provides flexibility to handle everything from short-term market changes to emergencies or unforeseen events.
Long-term competence building
Hofseth acquired ICEFRESH in December 2021, and since then, the parties have acquired and developed unique expertise in seafood thawing. Through this collaboration, MMC First Process has gained a solid understanding of the processes and technology, and together with ICEFRESH, the company will help make the seafood industry more sustainable.
“This project demonstrates how close collaboration, innovation, and long-term development work can result in solutions that both increase value creation and reduce the environmental impact for the entire industry. This is a real GAME CHANGER,” says Roy Glomset, Sales Manager Processing at MMC First Process.
Photo Roy Glomset
