SalMar is moving ahead with plans to take its salmon farming further offshore and is preparing for a pilot farm to be constructed in the next two years.
Through its Ocean Farming subsidiary, the salmon farmer will shortly be asking for tenders for construction of the facility. The facility will be specifically prepared for R&D equipment for future development tasks, focused on biological conditions and welfare of offshore aquaculture.
The release of fish and start of farming will at the earliest begin during spring 2016. Feedback from operational experience of the pilot facility will be implemented into a further industrial development of this type of fish farm.
The design combines existing technology and solutions from the Norwegian fish farming industry and the offshore oil and gas sector. The current design has a height of 67 meters, a diameter of 110 meters and a volume of 245,000 cubic meters. It weighs 5,600 metric tons and has a central column equipped with control room, living quarters, utilities and feed silos.
“Ocean Farming shall, through the development and implementation of new technologies and through the operational experience, posses the specific expertise required for this next generation of fish farming,” said SalMar.
Feasibility studies began in 2012 and during spring 2013, Ocean Farming presented a conceptual solution that is suitable for installation and operation in exposed offshore areas. The facility will through industrialized construction and streamlined/automated operations contribute to competitive production costs.
Global Maritime AS has performed the technical design/engineering (FEED) of the fish farm. A basin model test has been performed by MARINTEK (Sintef), which confirms a suitable behavior of the facility during harsh weather conditions. In accordance with the oil industry practices, this work will be verified/quality assured by DnV GL through an independent review.
March 10, 2014
