Andfjord Salmon’s Kvalnes expansion fully underway, with debut harvest exceeding expectations

After recording a first harvest of 646 metric tons (MT) from the pilot pool at its Kvalnes site, Norwegian land-based salmon producer Andfjord Salmon AS is forging ahead with expansion plans that will increase its production capacity in the near future.

The planned expansion will increase production at Kvalnes on the island of Andøya to 8,000 MT of head-on gutted (HOG) fish by 2025, gradually growing to 40,000 MT HOG by 2030.

Andfjord Salmon’s flow-through, salmon-rearing system aims to capitalize on Andøya’s close proximity to the oxygen-rich Gulf Stream. Through the company’s patented technology, it has introduced a laminar water-flow process, whereby water is pushed into the square-shaped pool and a parallel current moves it from one side to the other. Not only does this establish an even distribution of water in the system, the company said, it also eliminates turbulence.

Delivering Andfjord Salmon’s Q2 2023 results, CEO Martin Rasmussen explained that the innovative fish-farming concept combines the advantages of closed-pool, land-based production with the benefits of sea-based net-pen farming. The oxygen-rich seawater that the facility uses, the company claims, is an ideal temperature for rearing salmon and comes from depths of around 40 meters, where threats like sea lice and algae are little cause for concern.

“From a biological perspective, the first production cycle was a success,” Rasmussen said, pointing to a survival rate of 97.8 percent after 12 months in the pool and a post-harvest survival rate of 97.5 percent. Meanwhile, the growth of the fish exceeded expectations ...

Image courtesy of Andfjord Salmon