Norwegian marine ingredient company Epax is investing US$10M in a new facility in Aalesund, Norway, to expand its range of marine oils, according to a Nutra Ingredients report.
The plant would use new Epax fractionation technology to modify fish oil and extract fatty acids for bespoke nutrition products, the 12 February report said.
The plant would have the capacity to process 5,000 tonnes of crude oil/year, all derived from North Atlantic pelagic fish species, an “unusually rich source” of omega-9 and omega-11, Nutra Ingredients wrote.
Epax’s fractionation technology split North Atlantic fish oil into new and novel products, which typically proved to be challenging due to the fatty acid composition of that fish type, Epax global sales and marketing director Thomas Gulbrandsen explained. Following a pilot period, the new technology was ready for industrial-scale roll-out, the report said.
Construction of the new plant started in June and it was expected to become operational in early 2026.
Part of the investment included the expansion of the tank farm for storing fish oil, which would improve Epax’s ability to make use of the various fractions of the oil, with more being used in products for human nutrition, the report said.
Long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (LC-MUFAs), omega-9 and omega-11 have shown potential in nutraceutical applications targeting skin and metabolic health as well as beauty and personal care products, according to the report.
In 2012, Epax launched its NovusLipid category designed to commercialise new fish oils, a key component of which was exploring the use of omega-11 cetoleic acid and omega-9 gondoic acid commonly found in North Atlantic fish.
“Our team has engineered a … method to isolate and up-concentrate fatty acids from North Atlantic fish, which differ significantly from those in other regions. This …has driven our investment in a new synthesis plant,” Gulbrandsen said.
