Scottish Sea Farms has confirmed that it will spend more than GBP 3 million (USD 4 million, EUR 3.5 million) with suppliers throughout Scotland as it readies its new salmon farm off Lober Rock in the Scapa Flow, Orkney.
The new farm, which is expected to go live in the fall, will require infrastructure investments totaling GBP 3.3 million (USD 4.4 million, EUR 3.9 million), with more than 90 percent being spent with Scottish businesses.
Newly awarded contracts include GBP 1.7 million (USD 2.2 million, EUR 2 million) with the Gael Force Group to build a 200-metric ton (MT) steel feed barge along with moorings, twelve 80-meter salmon pens, underwater cameras and environmental monitoring technology.
At the same time, GBP 665,000 (USD 878,137, EUR 776,649) is being spent with Macduff Shipyards to build a 14-meter catamaran workboat, W&J Knox has a GBP 324,000 (USD 427,832, EUR 378,384) contract to provide netting systems to help keep local marine life and salmon stocks apart, and Leask Marine gets GBP 106,000 (USD 139,970, EUR 123,807) to secure the moorings, barge and pens.
Scottish Sea Farms’ Managing Director Jim Gallagher said the orders will equip the new farm with the latest technologies, ensuring that it’s Scottish Technical Standard 2020 compliant.
“We’ve worked with several of these suppliers for many years now as part of our long-standing policy of buying Scottish wherever possible and know their products to be tried and tested with regards to withstanding Orkney marine conditions,” Gallagher said.
In addition to generating revenue for Scottish businesses and service providers, the new farm will create six new full-time roles and lead to further job creation across the supply chain.
These latest contract awards come on the back of a year in which Scottish Sea Farms spent a record GBP 113 million (USD 149.2 million, EUR 132 million) across 676 local suppliers, including a GBP 33 million (USD 43.6 million, EUR 38.5 million) investment in its new RAS smolt hatchery at Barcaldine. It has plans to invest a further GBP 25 million (USD 33 million, EUR 29.2 million) in capital infrastructure projects over the next 12 months.
It’s estimated that Scotland’s salmon farmers combined spend in excess of GBP 595 million (USD 786 million, EUR 694.9 million) annually procuring goods and services from Scottish suppliers.
