Rosh Haayin, Israel-based AquaMaof Aquaculture Technologies has announced it has entered two new contracts for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in Russia and Kazakhstan.
The two projects were both commissioned by Moscow, Russia-based investment company Russian Friends Capital (RFC), according to AquaMaof. Each of the new facilities are planned to initially produce 2,500 metric tons (MT) of Atlantic salmon annually, and design work is planned to start next quarter.
“We are delighted and honored to have been selected by RFC as the RAS technology provider for these exciting projects,” AquaMaof Co-Founder and CIS Director Leonid Goldshtein said. “We are looking forward to supporting them in their mission to provide consumers with fresh and healthy salmon, which is locally and sustainably produced.”
The facility in Russia, Toluma Salmon, is to be located in the Tula region – a two-hour drive from Moscow, according to AquaMaof. RFC Partner Dmitry Perman told SeafoodSource earlier this month that the Kazakhstan project will be located in the “Khorgos Eastern Gates” special economic zone, on the border between Kazakhstan and China.
Perman estimated the price of the facility in Kazakhstan will be somewhere above USD 12 million (EUR 10 million), but exact figures are difficult and depend on currency fluctuations.
“We are pleased to team up with AquaMaof as the technology provider for our salmon facilities in Russia and Kazakhstan,” Perman said in a release. “The selection follows a comprehensive due diligence process in which AquaMaof’s RAS technology stood out in terms of lower energy use and bio security. The fact that the company’s technology has been proven in the production of salmon up to market size was also a significant factor in our decision. These facilities are part of our strategy to get locally-produced, fresh, healthy salmon closer to consumers in all major CIS regions.”
The two new projects add to AquaMaof’s portfolio of contracts with Russia-based companies. The company signed a memorandum of understanding in early March to establish an RAS for Strizh-Aqua HUB in southern Russia.
