The salmon company said the completed inlet waterway establishes the artery that will provide fresh Arctic seawater to all pools at the Kvalnes facility.
Photo: Andfjord Salmon Group.
Andfjord Salmon Group continues to make progress on the construction of its land-based salmon farming facility in Kvalnes, Andøya, Norway. The company announced today that it has successfully completed the inlet waterway connecting the site to the sea, a milestone that establishes "the artery that will provide fresh Arctic seawater to all pools at the facility."
"The breakthrough from the inlet waterway to Andfjorden was conducted safely and in line with our build-out schedule at Kvalnes. We are pleased to tick the box for completion of another major piece of infrastructure that will facilitate large-scale production of salmon at Kvalnes," said CEO Martin Rasmussen.
According to the land-based salmon producer, the inlet waterway has been designed to support a future production of approximately 48,100 tonnes (HOG + post-smolt) at Kvalnes. Upon completion, Andfjord Salmon has reiterated its plan to start smolt release in September 2025.
In its release, the company said that the entry point of the one-kilometre-long inlet tunnel is located at approximately 50 metres water depth, i.e., below the area where salmon lice and harmful algae normally live.
The new waterway will thus provide continuous access to clean, oxygen-rich seawater to the fish farming pools at Kvalnes. In combination with Andfjord Salmon's proprietary flow-through system, this inlet waterway is a key component in recreating a natural and healthy habitat for land-based salmon farming.
Unlike what we are used to at other land-based fish farms, the pools at Kvalnes are square-shaped. As the company explained back in 2022, when it was taking its first steps, the pools - there will be twelve when the project is completed - are designed to replicate a cross-section of the Gulf Stream.
In addition, Andfjord Salmon also explained that, to fill them, it uses water from depths of approximately 40-50 meters below the sea surface for its flow-through technology solution, and that the water is replenished 15-17 times a day.
The temporary section of the breakwater, built to protect the ongoing works in the port, has already been removed.
Photo: Andfjord Salmon Group.
In the current construction phase, the Norwegian salmon producer is also building four pools and developing a new harbour area at the Kvalnes site. In its release today, it said that both workstreams are on schedule.
Regarding the pools, the company has stated that all the UHPC (ultra-high-performance concrete) wall elements have been installed in pool K1. In addition, the two buildings that will house control systems for sludge treatment and feeding systems, respectively, have also been erected.
In regard to the harbour, it said that the temporary breakwater section, which was initially constructed to shield ongoing work in the port, has now been removed, thereby re-opening the harbour and enabling it to start receiving vessels.
This is the second major news about Kvalnes harbour we have learned recently. On June 19, Andfjord Salmon announced it had sold the harbour area of its land-based salmon farming site for NOK 400 million (EUR 34.6 million / USD 39.7 million) to the Norwegian industrial real estate firm Asset Buyout Partners (ABP). Following the transaction, the buyer leased it back to the salmon producer under an 80-year contract.
"The sale-leaseback is an integral part of our total financing package for the Kvalnes site, where salmon production is set to re-commence September this year," Andfjord Salmon CEO Martin Rasmussen said at the time.
