Yoram Layani is a partner at Singapore-based 8F Capital Partners, a private equity management firm that owns land-based salmon farmer Pure Salmon, which recently acquired the aquaculture division of Krüger Kaldnes from environmental services firm Veolia. In an interview with SeafoodSource, Layani detailed the company’s vision for the new entity, Pure Salmon Kaldnes RAS.
SeafoodSource: How will the new company use Krüger Kaldnes’ systems, technology, and human resources to advance its own projects? Does the company current have capacity to take on work on all the Pure Salmon farms currently under construction and those planned for the future?
Layani: Pure Salmon Kaldnes RAS will remain firmly anchored within the Norwegian aquaculture ecosystems and continue to serve its clients in the region. It will also leverage Pure Salmon’s global roll-out plan to expand its activities globally. While already well-staffed, the company will continue to expand and attract talents.
SeafoodSource: Does Krüger Kaldnes’ work with other salmon producers, such as SalMar, represent a conflict of interest for the company, given it is now in the business of salmon production itself? Have you conversed with SalMar and any other salmon-producing clients of Krüger Kaldnes to get its opinion of the new business situation?
Layani: Pure Salmon Kaldnes RAS remains independent and is not in the business of salmon production, rather one of being the leading provider of RAS technologies and services to the aquaculture industry, Pure Salmon being one client among others. It remains fully committed to all its existing clients, as is demonstrated with the confirmation by SalMar, post-acquisition, of the Tjuin facility contract to design one of the largest smolt facility in the world.
SeafoodSource: What will happen with Pure Salmon’s agreement with AquaMaof on current and future construction of its RAS farms globally?
Layani: We do not comment on our agreements with suppliers and providers.
SeafoodSource: What was the price paid by 8F to Veolia for Krüger Kaldnes? Did this come out of the USD 358 million fundraising round that took place last year?
Layani: We do not comment on these topics.
SeafoodSource: Can you discuss Nutreco’s role in 8F and how it will be involved in Pure Salmon’s RAS projects? Will it be supplying feed, or just offering financial backing?
Layani: As publicly announced by Nutreco, it has invested into and support the Pure Salmon vision. We do have additionally signed a long-term feed supply agreement with Skretting.
SeafoodSource: Can you name or describe 8F’s other backers?
Layani: We do not comment on these topics.
Photo courtesy of Yoram Layani/LinkedIn
