One week after the first phase of the new post mol building was announced, construction is well underway. The building, which is located in the Marystown Industrial Park, Canada, next to Grieg Seafood Newfoundland's First Feed Building and Smolt Building, will be equipped with Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) technology and is expected to employ up to 120 people by spring 2024.
"We are happy to announce that we are resuming the first phase of construction of our Post-Smolt building. Post-smolt is one of the industry's best practices we are implementing into our Newfoundland operations from the get-go. I am also pleased that this investment will contribute to our local communities with the employment of 120 people at peak," said Knut Skeidsvoll, Managing Director of Grieg Seafood Newfoundland.
The CAD 14 million (EUR 9,52 million/USD 10,66 million) project is being developed by a joint venture between Marco Construction and Olympic Construction. According to the information known to date, the first phase will involve work on the foundations and foundations of the site, while the second phase will cover the construction of the building.
Results are already positive for the first generation of fish at the Placentia Bay farms, showing high survival and growth rates. Thus, the company is transferring the second generation of salmon from its land-based facility in Marystown to three new marine farms in Placentia Bay. With this new project, Grieg Seafood Newfoundland expects to be able to increase production in Placentia Bay over the next few years with the post-smolt building.
The company also explained that it is committed to developing its operations in Marystown gradually and responsibly.
"The Town of Marystown is pleased to hear that construction is resuming on the post-smolt at Grieg Seafood NL's salmon hatchery at the Marine Industrial Park. We are excited at the prospect of increased economic prosperity and employment for our region, and we look forward to helping to build one of the strongest aquaculture sectors nation-wide," said Brian Keating, Mayor of Marystown.
The timing of the second phase of the Post-Smolt building construction is contingent upon two key factors. First, it depends on the completion of a full "grow-to-harvest cycle" in Placentia Bay. Second, it relies on the outcome of the federal government's plan to transition the salmon farming industry in British Columbia, where they also operate.
Finally, regarding its operations in general, Grieg explained that it plans to invest approximately CAD 38 million (EUR 25,86 million/ USD 28,94 million) in its Newfoundland operations in 2023, mainly for the development of marine sites.
Grieg Seafood is one of the world's leading salmon farming companies, with a catch target of 130,000 tons in 2025. The company, headquartered in Bergen, Norway, operates fish farms in Canada, specifically in British Columbia and Newfoundland. More than 750 people work for the company in various regions, 180 of them in BC's coastal communities. Grieg Seafood BC holds a license to actively produce 23,400 tonnes of salmon annually, catering to the North American and Asian markets.