A damaged water pipeline serving the Sjernarøyane island community in Rogaland, Norway is threatening operations at Grieg Seafood’s Stjernelaks slaughter plant, with the company warning of possible layoffs, according to NRK.
Stavanger municipality said the break has been located at a depth of around 200 metres. Officials told NRK that the North Sea Link electricity cable was laid across the water line when the interconnector to England was installed, complicating repair work because the damaged pipe cannot be lifted.
The municipality said the islands’ temporary water supply is being maintained through local sources and a reservoir system, but that available volumes would be insufficient for normal industrial operations.
Stjernelaks has been shut in recent weeks for scheduled maintenance and had planned to restart production next week. Municipal officials said the current water situation would not support normal processing activity.
Grieg Seafood regional director Kjetil Ørnes told NRK that an extended shutdown could initially lead to employee layoffs. He added that suppliers, including a box manufacturer in Oltedal and local transport contractors, could also be affected.
Stjernelaks processes more than 20,000 tonnes of salmon annually from Grieg Seafood sites in the region. If production cannot resume, fish may need to be transported to alternative slaughter facilities at higher cost.
Stavanger municipality said a permanent repair would take at least several weeks, with mobilisation of vessels, remotely operated vehicles and specialist equipment still required. NRK reported Grieg Seafood had been told to plan for around one month without production.
