Katahdin Salmon on track to start construction of the facility next spring

When Katahdin Salmon - one of Xcelerate Aqua's projects - was just beginning its first steps, WeAreAquaculture spoke with its CEO, Marianne Naess, and she told us that, from her view, it is essential to deliver on the plans you announce. Although she was referring to the production volumes of the future land-based salmon farm, the company's latest update on the status of its site in Millinocket, Maine, indicates that her maxim will also be met with the facility's construction timeline, which will begin next spring, on schedule.

Construction expected to be completed in less than two years

A few days ago, via a social media post, Katahdin Salmon informed the Millinocket community that it is on track to begin site preparations for its facility this summer. "The necessary approvals are in place and the pictures show the last testing of the lagoon before an RFP [request for proposals] for the work will be issued," the post read.  

Now - on her return from Boston, where she participated in the Seafood Expo North America 2024 - the CEO confirmed to WeAreAquaculture that plans are going according to expectations. "We are on track with our plans for Katahdin Salmon and plan to start the remediation and site preparations this summer together with our partner 'Our Katahdin'. This put us on track to start building the facility next Spring as planned," said Marianne Naess.

"Due to the existing connecting infrastructure and the excellent ground conditions, we expect to complete the construction in less than two years," she added. In addition, as Katahdin Salmon explains in its post, pre-existing permits offer advantages, and site preparation will allow for a fully excavated and ready-to-construct site, which will speed up construction timelines and save costs.

"All the thorough planning that we carried out last year confirms the early assessments that this site is excellent for land-based salmon farming," Marianne Naess told us.

An excellent place for land-based salmon farming

These qualities of the Millinocket site - the company describes them as "exceptional" - have led Katahdin Salmon to already validate tens of millions of dollars in savings by having all the connecting infrastructure in place, as well as outstanding ground conditions that allow for significant reduced foundations and concrete in construction.

Local hydropower is another advantage that few sites can offer. "We have found the pre-excavated site that's free of contamination that we can use with an outfall pipe and power infrastructure. It has 100% renewable power, and it has also permits in place from the time that this operation was a pulp mill. So, there's a lot of risk elements that we've been taken out of the equation with this farm," Naess told WeAreAquaculture when the project was starting.

That 100% renewable energy comes from a local hydroelectric power plant located only about 100 meters from the facility, and Katahdin Salmon also has plenty of clean, cold water that it will get from recycling streams on site. "We are believers that you should grow cold water fish where you have cold water because that takes down your energy consumption and your risk," is the CEO's view. They want to use clean energy, but also be as efficient as possible, to be the most sustainable fish farm in the U.S.

To this end, the company has one of the most experienced teams in the segment and is implementing plans that reduce risks to fish welfare, improve farm efficiency, and offer competitive investment levels compared to industry benchmarks. "A highly competitive and green project has taken shape in Millinocket aligned with the vision behind Katahdin Salmon," the company concluded.