Scottish Sea Farms earned the U.K. Association for Renewable Energy & Clean Technology’s (REA) Sustainability Award at its annual ceremony, held on Thursday, 9 June at Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens.
The awards were launched in 2006 to recognize organizations and individuals measurable progress toward net zero.
In a category that included brewing and pub chain BrewDog; and waste, water, and energy management services provider Veolia; Scottish Sea Farms landed the award for its carbon footprint-friendly initiatives. These include increasing its uptake of renewable energies through to rethinking waste to create circular economy products.
Accepting the award, Scottish Sea Farms’ Head of Sustainability & Development Anne Anderson said it helps that salmon farming has “the great starting point” of having one of the lowest carbon footprints of all the livestock farming sectors.
“At company level, we’re taking these strong credentials even further, working in collaboration with like-minded supply partners and customers to set a new bar for sustainability within the sector,” Anderson said.
Among the producer’s initiatives, it has reduced single-use plastics by introducing returnable bulk bins, saving over 2 million plastic boxes since 2017, repurposed fish waste into by-products including pet food and fertilizer, and adopted greener energies including wind, solar, wave, and hybrid across its farms and facilities to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and to lower CO2 emissions.
Among its partners, Scottish Sea Farms is working with AMP Clean Energy who designed, installed, and maintains the biomass energy system that helps heat the company’s Barcaldine Hatchery.
Using locally sourced wood chip provides much of the facility’s heat and hot water, with the 600kw system saving 683 metric tons (MT) of carbon annually compared with oil.
“Each sustainability success fuels our ambition to do even more: from making provision for a hydro scheme at the Barcaldine Hatchery to reduce fuel consumption further, to connecting remote marine farms to mains power where possible – and where not, trialling the potential of wave and tidal generated energy. We’re also looking at repurposing fallow farms to support renewable energy projects,” Anderson said.
Stirling-headquartered Scottish Sea Farms operates three freshwater hatcheries, three processing facilities, and 63 marine sites. Last year, it harvested 32,800 MT of salmon.
Photo courtesy of Scottish Sea Farms
