Ovum's Egget® closed containment concept, which is being used as the basis for the aquaculture facilities in the Hofseth project.
Photo: Ovum / Hofseth
Another Norwegian aquaculture company has announced progress in developing closed containment aquaculture facilities, following the Norwegian government's incentive scheme announced in October.
Salmon farming firm Hofseth has confirmed that construction has begun on its first closed sea-based production systems. Initial moulds for five closed facilities are currently being manufactured in Måløy and are planned to be installed in Storfjorden, a 110-kilometre long fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county.
The project is based on the Egget® closed containment concept developed by Ovum. Hofseth holds six development licences linked to the system, which has already been tested with multiple production cycles at a pilot site at Gjermundneset in Vestnes since 2023.
“With the design phase behind us, we are now entering the execution phase. It will be exciting to see the solutions and concepts we have developed perform as intended in practice,” said Project director Ole Nordal. "We are looking forward to good progress in the construction work, with the goal of stocking the first fish in Egget® in Storfjorden in just over a year.”
Project stakeholders and members of the project team, including Project Director Ole Nordal, and Project Manager, Mats Vadseth.
Ovum’s chief executive, Cato Lyngøy, described the start of construction as "an important milestone" for the Egget® concept. “We are very pleased that Hofseth is now commencing construction of the first full-scale system based on the Egget® concept. The focus now is on close collaboration throughout a demanding project execution,” he said.
Once completed in Måløy, the moulds will be shipped to Latvia for component production, before being transported back to Norway for final assembly in the Sunnmøre region. Production is being handled by engineering company Brimer.
If the project proceeds as planned, the first unit will be stocked in early 2027. Preparations are already under way on land, including refurbishment of buildings acquired by Hofseth and the establishment of supporting infrastructure such as power supply, oxygen systems and facilities for onshore operations.
"Our investment in closed sea-based systems is an important step in addressing several of the challenges facing the aquaculture industry. Our goal is to support sustainable growth through solutions that reduce challenges related to sea lice and fish escape, while also enabling the collection of sludge," Hofseth stated.