SalMar, Krüger Kaldnes building world’s largest fish hatchery in Norway

SalMar is partnering with aquaculture technology firm Krüger Kaldnes to build the world’s largest fish hatchery in Tjuin, Norway.

One of the world’s largest producers of farmed salmon, Frøya, Norway-based SalMar hopes to begin construction on the 17,000-square-meter recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility for smolt outgrowth in May 2021.

“SalMar’s new hatchery in Tjuin confirms the impression I have gathered through my 10 years in Krüger Kaldnes, which is that land-based facilities are becoming larger and increasingly complex,” Krüger Kaldnes Process Manager Christian Rønning said in a press release. “Smolt facilities like the Tjuin project involve so much more than RAS technology. Biology, control systems, automation, and cost-efficiency are more important than ever. Also, larger facilities require more complexity and flawless synergies between various parts of the production process. As a team of specialists, we are truly excited about getting started with this challenging project, in which Kaldnes’ RAS system is at the heart of the facility.”

SalMar and Krüger Kaldnes, along with construction partner Consto, have formally signed a contract and begun collaboration on the final design, according to Krüger Kaldnes Sales Manager Jack Tucker.

“Together with SalMar, we will once again build and deliver a world-leading land-based fish farm, this facility will prove to be an industry reference for future facilities,” Tucker said.

Sandefjord, Norway-based Krüger Kaldnes, which is owned by environmental services firm Veolia, previously collaborated with SalMar in the construction of two salmon grow-out facilities in Follafoss. The first, Follafoss Settefisk, was built over 14 months between 2016 and 2017 at a cost of NOK 300 million (USD 34.7 million, EUR 29 million), and is a 6,200-square-meter RAS facility capable of producing six million 250-gram smolts annually. A second phase was added in 2019, adding an additional capacity of four million smolts, costing NOK 150 million (USD 17.4 million, EUR 14.5 million).

“We had a very good collaboration with Krüger Kaldnes in connection with the establishment of SalMar Follafoss. We now take these good experiences and chemistry with us into the Tjuin project,” SalMar Project Manager Jon Ivar Hovd said.

Krüger Kaldnes CEO Kent Kongsdal Rasmussen said the new Tjuin project represented a milestone for his firm.

“As a company, we have spent recent years improving our competence within the areas of technology, innovation, biological science, project management – in addition to developing our personnel. Moreover, we have recruited some of Norway’s most skilled employees within important professional areas. Combining these people with the rest of our highly skilled staff, who have contributed significantly over decades in making the company what it is today, leaves us with a highly complex and competent team," Rasmussen said. "The fact that SalMar has chosen us to be a supplier in the Tjuin project, is confirmation that we have succeeded in strengthening our company in several important areas.”

Photo courtesy of Krüger Kaldnes