Nordic Aqua, China's first commercial-scale producer of RAS Atlantic salmon, has announced its first salmon harvest will be delayed briefly due to some adjustments to water circulation systems.
Photo: Nordic Aqua.
After a successful harvest test in February 2024, Nordic Aqua expected its first commercial harvest to arrive on schedule, in March. However, following a test carried out at its Gaotang, China, facility over Easter, the land-based producer has announced that this first salmon harvest will be briefly delayed.
Following those tests, the company has decided to implement what it has defined as "some minor adjustments to the water circulation systems." These adjustments will affect the schedule for the first harvest, which, instead of being in March as planned, will now occur in the week beginning April 22.
"While this adjustment necessitates a slight rescheduling of the harvest to the latter half of April, it is a calculated move to enhance the quality that PureNordicSalmon is set to represent," CEO Ragnar Joensen said in regard.
If we look back and check the company's statements in its Q4 2023 results report, a slight delay like this was well within expectations. "Fine-tuning of technology and processes to improve production and shorten the production cycles is a continuous practice in Nordic Aqua, and operational excellence and control will always be prioritized over advancing project development," it said then.
According to Nordic Aqua's statement, these necessary adjustments to the water circulation systems have not affected the salmon, which, by last week's test-harvesting results, "have exceeded expectations in both quality and yield."
Likewise, China's first commercial-scale RAS Atlantic salmon producer stated that, despite this shift in the second quarter harvest schedule, the comprehensive planning ensures this will not affect annual production. "We will gradually increase the volumes, until we achieve full scale production in May," Joensen claimed.
Nordic Aqua Partners is committed to reaching its projected harvest volume of 3,400 tons by 2024 and will soon be ready to intensify activities to introduce its Atlantic salmon under the PureNordicSalmon brand to the Chinese market.
By April 2024, the company also plans to complete incubation and start feeding, with the first egg incubation scheduled for the third quarter of 2024 and the first harvest of phase 2 expected for the third quarter of 2026. In addition, the company will continue with the second stage of Gaotang's construction, which started in the third quarter of 2023.
Nordic Aqua Partners is a Nordic land-based Atlantic salmon farming company setting up the first fully integrated and commercially scaled Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) farm for Atlantic salmon located in Gaotang, Ningbo, China. Using cutting-edge Nordic technology and expertise, the company is the first local producer of truly sustainable and Super-fresh Atlantic salmon to the Chinese market. Nordic Aqua's business plan is for an annual production of 20,000 tonnes HOG. It is listed at Euronext Growth under the ticker NOAP.
