Big Akwa co-founders, Elena Petukhovskaya and Hugo Wikström.
Photo: Big Akwa
Swedish food-tech company Big Akwa has been granted a 25-year environmental permit to produce up to 6,000 tons of rainbow trout annually at its planned aquaculture facility in Ånge Municipality. The permit was issued by Länsstyrelsen Västernorrland and covers operations at the company’s future land-based facility in the Alby industrial park.
According to Big Akwa, the permit marks a major step forward in the development of its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), which is designed to operate as part of a wider circular economy model. The company states that this system will limit environmental impact and improve resource efficiency by integrating industrial by-products into fish production.
“This permit is the result of intense and dedicated work by our entire team, our advisors, and our partners in and around Ånge,” said Elena Petukhovskaya, Big Akwa’s CEO and co-founder. She added that the company is “incredibly happy and proud to have reached this point.”
Daniel Brännström, the company’s Chief Technical Officer, described the permit as providing “the certainty we need to move forward”, noting that the next phase will focus on preparing the site, refining technical plans, and continuing collaboration with industry partners.
"This is an important step forward. By applying a modern, resource-efficient approach, we can significantly reduce feed and energy consumption per kilo of fish produced," added Vice President and co-founder, Hugo Wikström.
"This not only results in a low-impact protein that is in high demand, but also creates a long-term economically attractive model for investment," he noted.
Big Akwa's planned rainbow trout facilities in Alby Industrial Park, central Sweden.
Big Akwa’s facility will be a core part of what it describes as an “industrial symbiosis” model, where excess heat and oxygen from nearby hydrogen production are repurposed for use in fish farming. The company also plans to recover nutrients from its processes to create biochar, fertilisers and microbial proteins.
Production is expected to begin in 2026, with full capacity projected by 2029. Big Akwa says the project is supported by a broad coalition of private investors, public funders, and industry collaborators, with the shared goal of promoting climate-neutral food production.
Founded in 2020, Big Akwa focuses on resource-efficient fish farming, with a particular emphasis on traceability, environmental benefits, and food security. The company intends to supply both domestic and international markets.
Big Akwa became a publicly-traded company in June last year, and completed its fourth investment round in February 2025.