An artist's impression of Pure Salmon's Soul of Japan facility, which will produce 10,000 tonnes of salmon per annum. Image: Pure Salmon

Private equity firm launches 260,000-tonne RAS ‘mission’

A new land-based Atlantic salmon farming company is launching with what it says is “a mission to revolutionise the industry”.

Editors
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Pure Salmon has a target to produce 260,000 tonnes per annum, more than the annual production of Scotland or Canada. The company has been developed by 8F Asset Management Pte. Ltd., a global asset management firm focused on impact investing.

8F has selected Israeli firm AquaMaof Aquaculture Technologies to supply the technology for its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facilities, it said in a press release.

Training location

Pure Salmon’s first Atlantic salmon RAS facility is already fully operational in Poland and producing adult fish of 5-6kg. It is 50% owned by 8F’s private equity fund and 50% by AquaMaof. In addition to acting as a proof-of-concept, the facility is also a research and development and training location for Pure Salmon staff globally.

Stephane Farouze: "RAS technology will be the leading driving force for growing salmon in a resource-strained world."

The Poland facility will produce 580 tonnes of Atlantic salmon per annum. A second facility has been recently announced in Japan. A $162 million (€141.9 million) investment is being made to create “Soul of Japan,” a state-of-the-art RAS salmon farm that will be the largest ever built in Asia, and one of the largest globally. The 137,000 square metre farm will produce up to 10,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon per annum and will be fully operational from 2021.

With further planned roll-outs of large scale facilities of 10,000 tonnes or 20,000 tonnes production per annum in the US, Europe, China and around the world, Pure Salmon’s launch is the most ambitious of its kind for land-based salmon farming, generating hundreds of local jobs and helping solve the global fish shortage. 

Fully-integrated farms

All Pure Salmon land-based sites will be fully integrated with on-site hatcheries, grow-out systems and processing facilities.

Stephane Farouze, chairman and founder of 8F, said: “We’re delighted to be launching what is the most exciting global development in land-based Atlantic salmon farming.

“We believe that RAS technology will be the leading driving force for growing salmon in a resource-strained world, where producing sustainable food without further damaging our oceans is paramount.”

8F Asset Management Pte. Ltd. is headquartered and regulated in Singapore. It has group offices in London and New York.

Earlier this year AquaMaof was named as the chosen supplier for Grieg NL’s new hatchery in Marystown, Newfoundland.

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