Stian Johnsen was Group CEO at Sterner AS, a leading company in aquaculture technology, water treatment, and sludge management.
Bluegreen
Norwegian closed-containment engineering specialist Bluegreen Group has announced the appointment of Stian Johnsen as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the scaling up and industrialization of the Marine Donut.
The Marine Donut, a floating closed containment system for fish farming, is designed to address some of the salmon farming industry's most serious problems by preventing sea lice infections and fish escapes, in addition to eliminating pollution by capturing feed residues and fish sludge.
In September, the Group responsible for the design and construction of SalMar's Marine Donut confirmed the successful completion of two salmon production cycles at the facility.
"Johnsen knows the technology, the industry, and the challenges extremely well, and has proven that he can deliver results through demanding transitions," said Nils Johan Tufte, Chair of the Board and outgoing CEO of Bluegreen.
Previously, the new CEO was Group CEO at Sterner AS, a leading company in aquaculture technology, water treatment, and sludge management that has collaborated with Bluegreen for several years, both as a customer and as a supplier.
"I've followed Bluegreen and the Marine Donut project for a long time. This is one of the most exciting developments in aquaculture in many years," expressed Johnsen.
This appointment comes at an ideal time, as in October, the Norwegian government introduced a new incentive scheme designed to accelerate the shift toward closed-containment aquaculture.
The policy, announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, gives fish farmers a chance to regain production capacity lost through the traffic light system, as long as the fish are raised in closed systems that meet specific environmental standards.
Regarding this, the current CEO —who will continue as a partner, Chair of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer— Nils-Johan Tufte mentioned:
"We are seeing growing interest from Norwegian farming companies that want to invest in closed systems, especially now that the regulatory conditions are finally aligned. The technology is tested, safe, and ready for use."