Illustration of the Aquatraz C2 unit.
Photo: Seafarming Systems
Norwegian salmon farming companies SalMar and Lerøy Seafood have announced they are joining forces to develop a new generation of semi-closed fish farming technology.
The companies have commissioned six Aquatraz C2 units supplied by Seafarming Systems, developed in collaboration with both producers.
The design builds on experience from earlier versions of the Aquatraz concept used by both companies, and is billed as part of the salmon producers' ongoing work to test alternative production systems for Norwegian aquaculture.
Each Aquatraz C2 unit will hold around 70,000 cubic metres of water and draw in seawater from six intakes positioned 35 metres below the surface. The deep-water flow is intended to keep sea lice levels low and ensure steady water exchange.
Together, the six units will roughly double Norway’s total capacity for closed production, the companies claim.
“If everything goes according to plan, the first fish will be released into these units in the first quarter of 2027, with full operation from 2028,” said Frode Arntsen, CEO of SalMar ASA, in a joint press release.
The modules will be produced in China and then assembled at a Norwegian shipyard, with several suppliers from Norway and other European countries taking part in the project.
The main objective, the companies said, is to tackle persistent challenges in salmon farming such as sea lice and emissions into the surrounding environment.
“We have worked purposefully and systematically with technology development for many years, and have come a long way with submerged cages and testing of semi-closed solutions. Now we are taking this a step further,” said Henning Beltestad, CEO of Lerøy Seafood Group ASA.
Both SalMar and Lerøy stressed their belief that "traditional technology will continue to be the important foundation for Norwegian aquaculture, not least in more weather-exposed locations". The new system is viewed as a supplement rather than a replacement, the companies indicated.
Seafarming Systems CEO Alf Reidar Sandstad described the Aquatraz C2 as “the result of over ten years of development work, with continuous improvement and learning from practical operation,” saying that the concept combines “large farming volume, high water exchange, low energy consumption and competitive price.”
The companies said they expect deliveries of the closed aquaculture units to begin within a year, pending official permits, and urged authorities to provide predictable framework conditions during the implementation phase.
The announcement by Leroy and SalMar comes shortly after the Norwegian government's introduction of a new incentive scheme designed to speed up the shift towards closed containment aquaculture.
The policy, announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries in October, gives fish farmers a chance to regain production capacity lost through Norway's traffic light system for aquaculture, as long as the fish are raised in closed systems that meet specific environmental standards.