‘Technical issues’ delay plant opening in PNG

A FISHERIES company has been forced to postpone the opening of its new processing plant in Papua New Guinea due to technical issues, Undercurrent News has learned.
The Kaohsiung, Taiwan group called FCF Fishery Company had planned the opening of the Nambawan facility by the end of the first quarter of this year.  Vice-president Chris Hsu told Undercurrent in an email that he could not give an exact date “but we are roughly scheduling for in and around the end of May.
“We’ll know more by the end of April.”
Nambawan, situated in Lae, is a joint venture between FCF and the Philippines’ Trans Pacific Journey Fishing and TSP Mariner Industries, which was first launched in 2011.
The facility is expected to have a production capacity of 200 metric tonnes of tuna per day.
However, problems with its refrigeration system have forced FCF to postpone the opening.
“There are refrigeration issues,” Hsu, who visited Lae last month, said. “Our contractors and technicians are working to repair this.
:Replacement parts were delivered last week.”
At first, Nambawan had been slated to open in September 2015.
However, when speaking to Undercurrent at the group’s headquarters last November, Hsu said nothing untoward had contributed to this delay.
The firm prides itself on a longstanding business alliance with Thai Union, but also owns a stake in Bumble Bee, and holds around 10 per cent of Sea Value, a major competitor of Thai Union. – undercurrentnews online