A new production line from BioMar, a supplier of high-performance feed to the global aquaculture industry, is up and running in its Brande, Denmark-based facility, the firm announced on 29 June.
Dedicated to recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and fry aquaculture feed production, the line is the result of a DKK 100 million (USD 15.1 million, EUR 13.4 million) investment that BioMar said has enabled it to increase the annual capacity of its Danish facility by 25 percent.
Located in Jutland, Denmark – the “Silicon Valley for RAS,” according to BioMar – the firm’s Danish feed facility is situated among other RAS technology providers who have been supplying the aquaculture industry for upwards of 30 years, the company said.
“Being situated in an area with a long history of RAS research and development has enabled us to be first movers in RAS feeds and will continue to be crucially important in the innovation development of feeds for land-based farming. There is good recognition for our RAS feeds globally and our ambitions for this growing segment are high,” BioMar Group CEO Carlos Diaz explained in a press release.
Its Danish production facility has seen organic growth in recent years, BioMar said, spurring the company to invest and add capacity two years ago. Specially designed feeds for more than 40 aquaculture species, including trout, salmon, and yellowtail kingfish, are developed in the facility. Already, the investment project has been able to increase overall capacity by 25 percent, meaning up to 160,000 tons of feed produced annually, “with improved flexibility, quality, and production performance,” according to BioMar.
“Installing an extra production line into a facility that is in daily operation was challenging, particularly in the last few months of the process where we all have been working under extraordinary circumstances due to the COVID-19 situation. Thanks to our highly skilled and dedicated people, we have been able to successfully manage the process without compromising the daily operations and scheduled deliverables,” BioMar Denmark Managing Director Anders Brandt-Clausen said.
Feeds developed with the new line have been tested over the course of the last couple of months, BioMar said, and have shown impressive results. Demonstrated results for the company’s premium fry feeds on the new line have been particularly energizing, Brandt-Clausen noted.
“We have just been through the fry feed season and we received very positive feedback from farmers around the world on the quality and performance of the products,” Brandt-Clausen said.
“Pellets coming out of the new line are now in a much better diameter: length ratio, the inter-size gap has been improved for at smoother transition between pellet sizes,” BioMar added. “The improved process control technology on the new line will further strengthen BioMar’s ability to focus on more physical quality parameters such as sinking speed and water stability.”
Photo courtesy of BioMar
