World’s first ‘offshore’ aquaculture development
The Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Fisheries has approved Norway’s first development concession enabling Ocean Farming AS, supported by global marine technology company Kongsberg Maritime AS, to build the world’s first automated ‘exposed’ aquaculture facility.
Situated off Trondheim, this innovative new facility introduces a paradigm shift in salmon farming now, and other fish types in the future and is a significant step in Norway’s efforts to deliver technical solutions to address the impending global food gap challenge.
The Ocean Farming facility is a new and innovative design, developed to overcome the challenges of more traditional inshore fish farming facilities by being located in deeper waters, further from the coast. The submerged, anchored fixed structure will float steady in the exposed ocean and is suitable for water depths of 100 to 300 metres, where the aqua biological conditions are more ideal for aquaculture on ‘the fish’s terms’. The benefits of offshore fish farms are numerous, with conditions more suited to nurturing healthy fish, such as steady currents that limit exposure to sea lice infection. The facility is fully automated with normal operation requiring a crew of just 3 – 4 people. It can also be remotely operated.
Kongsberg is providing technology and engineering services, EIT engineering services, including delivery and installation of the gensets and aqualight systems.
By Jake Frith
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