Grieg to build largest indoor salmon facility

Grieg NL, an independently-operated division of Grieg Seafood, is building what is considered to be the world’s largest indoor aquaculture facility.

The USD 200 million (CAD 263.9 million, EUR 178.5 million) recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) hatchery and nursery facility will be based in Marystown, Newfoundland, Canada.

“We are excited to build such a large and advanced salmon nursery and we are aiming to start up production in 2017 and become fully operational in 2018,” Perry Power, human resource manager for Grieg NL, told SeafoodSource, adding that the new facility will primarily service retail buyers.

The facility will produce seven million smolt, ranging up to 1,500 grams. Grieg NL will stock 11 sea-cage sites for the subsequent grow-out and harvest of more than 33,000 tons of Atlantic salmon annually by 2023, according to AMG Norway, a subsidiary of Aqua Maof Group, which is building the indoor aquaculture facility.

Grieg NL’s expansion was needed to handle increasing demand, the company said.

“The salmon market has and is experiencing a steady increase of seven percent per year in the United States and worldwide,” Power said. “In addition to U.S. and European markets, we are seeing rapid growth in Asia. Emerging markets are China, Korea and India.”

In addition to the Newfoundland facility, Aqua Maof is in the advanced planning process for seven more facilities around the world. About 70 percent of the planned future facilities will be dedicated to salmon, leveraging Aqua Maof's proprietary technology and efficient cost of production, according to Aqua Maof.