Aerial view of Bakkafrost's Applecross facility in Wester Ross.
Photo: Euan Myles / Bakkafrost.
Bakkafrost Scotland is rolling out a new waste treatment system in Wester Ross that it says will significantly boost sustainability and contribute to a circular economy. The £2.5 million project will see the company convert hatchery waste products into biochar, a soil additive used in forestry.
Economic and community development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has now committed up to £630,290 to the project, which involves installing a pyrolysis unit at Bakkafrost’s recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) hatchery at Applecross.
The technology, which the company claims is the first of its kind in a Scottish hatchery, turns organic sludge waste into a carbon-rich material that improves soil structure and water retention. The process begins with filtering the sludge to increase its dry matter content, followed by heating it in an oxygen-free environment to produce biochar.
Last year, Bakkafrost announced that environmental regulator the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) had granted what is understood to be the first Waste Management Licence in the country for a hatchery pyrolysis unit, allowing the facility to operate the high-temperature treatment system.
Announcing HIE's financial backing this week, Alastair Nicolson, area manager for Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, said, “We welcome this innovative project, that turns what was a waste stream into a product that enhances the natural environment. It also reduces the volume of waste that needs to be transported out of the area in line with the business’s commitment to reduce its impact on the environment."
Bakkafrost has been investing heavily in its Scottish operations since acquiring the Scottish Salmon Company in 2019, including establishing its flagship Applecross hatchery, which the company describes as a "purpose built, state-of-the-art RAS facility".
When complete, Bakkafrost says the facility will run on 100% renewable energy, with solar panels and hydropower plants contributing 75% of this. Waste collected from this facility will be processed through the pyrolysis unit.
Ian Laister, managing director of Bakkafrost Scotland, said: “In a RAS facility, substantial quantities of unused ‘waste’ materials are generated, which must be separated from the water circulating back to the fish. Traditionally, that material has been considered waste, but technological advancements have opened the door to a more sustainable management process and that must be good news for helping protect our environment.”
“The pyrolysis system delivers on our sustainability goals, creating a circular economy of production. It will be operational by the end of the year," Laister added.
The company has outlined ambitions to reduce waste at its RAS facilities by 90%, cut water usage by a similar proportion, and power operations entirely through renewable energy sources, including hydro, solar, and recovered heat systems, as part of a ten-year investment strategy aimed at transforming its operations to meet long-term environmental goals.
