Mowi's subsea "Aquastorm" project blocked by Norwegian authorities

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has rejected Mowi's application for 36 development permits for its innovative "Aquastorm" project, an ambitious concept for unmanned, offshore, subsea salmon farming - described by Mowi in 2019 as "the largest development project we have ever planned".

The application, initially submitted in November 2017, but subject to a lengthy appeal and re-evaluation process, aimed to secure permits for a total of 780 tonnes of maximum allowed biomass (MTB) per permit.

The Directorate had previously rejected Mowi’s application in April 2019, citing that the project did not meet the requirement of "significant innovation" under the Norwegian Salmon Allocation Regulations. Mowi appealed the decision and submitted additional documentation, but the Directorate said that the company's inclusion of new materials in the appeal constituted a separate application, and still found that the project was too immature and complex for real-world testing at that time.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries intervened in July 2022, overturning the rejection and sending the case back for a re-evaluation, stating that the new information provided by Mowi should not be treated as a separate application. This initiated a new round of assessment - which has ultimately resulted in another "no" from the Fisheries Directorate.

The Aquastorm concept involves large-scale, unmanned subsea farming centers designed to be submerged up to 50 meters deep, connected to a land-based control center several kilometers away. The system is designed to operate in harsh offshore conditions while reducing environmental challenges like sea lice and waste.

“This is the largest development project we have ever planned. AquaStorm moves the fish farms out of the fjords and down into the ocean depths, where the fish are protected from sea lice, disease and the weather,” said Mowi’s project leader, Henrik Trengereid, back in April 2019 while the company was awaiting the initial decision from authorities.

In addition to collaboration with R&D partners Nofima and Sintef, the AquaStorm projectalso saw Mowi working with leading technology companies from the subsea and oil industries, including Aqualine, Kongsberg, ABB and Stellarman.

The project also garnered support from the Federation of Norwegian Industries, whose CEO, Labour politician Stein Lier-Hansen, said in 2019 he believed the project was a perfect fit for the Norwegian government’s development licences scheme.

“This project represents the best of Norway’s maritime expertise. AquaStorm exploits the country’s competence in the fields of aquaculture, subsea and offshore oil production to create an even more sustainable and forward-looking industry. It is precisely this kind of project that the Norwegian authorities and policymakers must enable,” Lier-Hansen stated at the time.

The proposed location of the project was in the Roan district of Trøndelag in Central Norway, and could have created up to 60 jobs in the area, according to Mowi.

However, after reviewing the project, the Directorate concluded that several critical parts of the technology—particularly the subsea components—remain in the research phase and are not yet ready for commercial deployment.

The Directorate determined that because of this, the project does not meet the "significant innovation" requirement, which is essential for the development permits to be issued.

As a result, Mowi’s application for the Aquastorm concept has been officially rejected.

Mowi retains the right to appeal this decision within three weeks under Norwegian administrative law, but has not yet indicated what course of action it plans to take.

This decision marks a setback for Mowi’s plans to push the boundaries of offshore aquaculture technology. The company must now reassess its strategy for the Aquastorm project, which was proposed as a potential solution to environmental and space challenges in the aquaculture industry.

^{Promotional video released in 2019, detailing Mowi's AquaStorm concept. Video: Mowi.}