Smir Group clinches feed system contract with land-based salmon farmer
Waterborne delivery is best suited to the concept and choice of feed type, says Andfjord
Aquaculture industry supplier Smir Group has signed a contract with Andfjord Salmon for the delivery of its Smirfeeder waterborne feeding system to Andford’s land-based facility at Kvalnes on the island of Andøya in Norway.
Smir said the two companies will also look at the possibilities for extended cooperation around the delivery of solutions and services linked to other parts of Andfjord’s production in the years ahead.
Andfjord Salmon, which this week raised £25.7 million in a private placement of new shares, is using a laminar flow-through system to grow fish in large pools excavated into the bedrock of Andøya. It has successfully completed a pilot farming cycle in its first pool and is currently building four more pools which will increase production capacity to 8,000 gutted weight tonnes from 2025.
The company aims to dig more pools to reach a production capacity of 40,000 tonnes at Kvalnes through gradual volume increases between 2025 and 2030.
Gentle delivery
Smir Group sales manager Frode Rygh said: “We are very proud to be chosen as supplier of the feeding system to this project. Andfjord Salmon aims to build and operate the world’s most sustainable fish farming facility of its kind, and it is inspiring to be able to help them to achieve this goal by using our waterborne feeding system.
“By being able to gently transport feed with different properties and structure, such as a softer pellet, we firmly believe that we can challenge existing feeding systems by delivering significantly better fish welfare.
“We’ve had a good dialogue with Andfjord Salmon over a long period, and as we have gotten to know each other we have come to realise that we have much in common regarding the design of tomorrow’s technology and services, which also include areas other than just feed logistics.
“We look forward to taking a closer look at which synergies we can collaborate on in terms of technologies and services in the coming years.”
An innovative partner
Andfjord Salmon’s chief operating officer Christian Torgersen said: “To ensure the good biological results we achieved in the pilot, and a further development of the performance, we are very pleased to have entered into a collaboration with Smir on the delivery of a waterborne feeding system. We believe we have found an innovative partner who is as highly focused as we are with biological results and technological development.
“It was about finding a feeding method that was best suited to the concept and choice of feed type. By further developing the technology for feeding, we will also together with feed supplier Skretting, shape the future structure of pellets and its nutritional content.
“In addition, we’ll get all the significant benefits when it comes to matters such as low energy consumption, no microplastics and the integration to the infrastructure on land.”
