Third from right, Stein Ove Tveiten poses with his new teammates at Baring International Holding. On his left, Peder Sollie, Morten Frustøl, and Lars Reme; on his right, Ole Kristoffer Torsvik, and Nina Møgster.
Photo: Mona Lund Litland / Baring International Holding.
The former CEO of Arctic Fish, Norwegian Stein Ove Tveiten, is swapping Iceland for China to head a major salmon venture. Appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Baring International Holding's new land-based facility in Shanwei, in the south of the country, he will start in his new position in September.
As highlighted in the release, in his new role, Tveiten will oversee the development and operations of a state-of-the-art facility with the ambition to produce 20,000 tons per year of high-quality Atlantic salmon, targeting one of the world's most dynamic seafood markets.
"Stein Ove brings both execution power and international experience. He understands how to build an integrated value chain from scratch, and he shares our vision of delivering true Norwegian quality directly to the Chinese market," said Lars Reme, Board member and one of the driving forces behind the project, commenting on the appointment.
Indeed, the new CEO of Baring International Holding's land-based salmon farm in Shanwei comes to the project after eight years leading the growth and development of Arctic Fish, the Mowi-owned salmon farming company in the Westfjords of Iceland. Although he announced his resignation in October 2024, Tveiten has remained at the helm until the end of April this year, when the company appointed his replacement.
With that experience, Stein Ove Tveiten now faces the challenge of building a new land-based aquaculture facility from scratch, and to do so in China, with all the parallels but also differences that this new project has over his previous experience, something that, he said, motivates him.
"This is an incredibly exciting project to be part of! For me, it was a rare opportunity – to combine Norwegian technology and operational expertise with Chinese speed and execution power, in a market with massive potential," he stated. "For land-based salmon farming, this is the right place to be, and I look forward to the journey ahead," Tveiten added.
Alongside him, several key industry leaders are part of the team. Among them, the company highlighted Peder Sollie, former project manager at Proximar's land-based salmon farm in Japan, who will lead construction; Nina Møgster, who, with executive experience at Lerøy Sjøtroll and Lingalaks, will act as a strategic advisor; and Lars Reme and Ole Kristoffer Torsvik, who bring deep experience in project execution and organizational development after recently commissioning Baring Farsund, the largest land-based facility for post-smolt and food fish in Southern Norway, built in under a year.
Virtual image of Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta's project for the Baring International Holding's land-based salmon facility in Shanwei, China.
For the construction of this land-based salmon facility in Shanwei, Baring International Holdings is backed by a group of Norwegian investors from the fishing and industrial sectors. Specifically, approximately 50% of the company is owned by Knut N.T. Ugland, while the remaining 50% is held by a company controlled by Lars Reme and Ole Kristoffer Torsvik.
The company reported that the first phase of the project, a 5,000-tonne facility, is now fully funded, and construction is expected to begin this year 2025. A Shanwei state-owned company will be incorporated as a shareholder, and the project has received strong backing from the Guangdong and Shanwei authorities.
In addition, in January, Baring International Holdings also signed a cooperation agreement with Nansha District, also in Guangdong, which in recent years, has devoted significant efforts to the construction of a state-of-the-art marine ranch, and which expects the cutting-edge aquaculture technologies and equipment provided by Baring to inject a strong impetus to the modernization of its fishing industry.
Moreover, the project also involves the internationally renowned architecture firm Snøhetta as a creative partner, which is designing a landmark building for the new company, inspired by the submarine restaurant Under, in Lindesnes, Norway.
"The aim is to create a centrepiece where Nordic design meets Chinese food culture – a destination for showcasing the future of seafood," Baring International Holding claimed in its release.
"We're not just building a salmon farm – we're building a vision," co-owner Ole Kristoffer Torsvik said, commenting on the project. "This is about uniting Norwegian technology with Chinese ambition. We believe this project can become a new benchmark for sustainable food production."