BioMar invests £12m in RAS feed line
Danish feed giant BioMar has scaled up its RAS feed production with the opening of a new line at its Brande plant in Denmark.
The line, which is dedicated to RAS and fry feed, marks an investment of DKK 100 million (about £12 million) and increases annual capacity at the facility by 25 per cent to 160,000 tonnes, the company said in a press release.
The feed mill is in the Jutland region of Denmark, the heart of RAS innovation in the country and home to leading RAS technology providers as well as farmers.
Carlos Diaz, CEO of BioMar Group, said: ‘Being situated in an area with a long history of RAS research and development has enabled us to be first movers in RAS feeds, and will continue to be crucially important in the innovation development of feeds for land-based farming.’
The company said it has accelerated its efforts in the production of RAS feed, with a dedicated task force that is continuously strengthened with more RAS experts.
Growing segment
‘There is good recognition for our RAS feeds globally and our ambitions for this growing segment are high,’ Diaz added.
The Danish production facility has experienced organic growth in recent years, and a decision was made two years ago to invest and add capacity. But completion of the project has not been without challenges.
Anders Brandt-Clausen, managing director of BioMar Denmark, said: ‘Installing an extra production line into a facility that is in daily operation was challenging, particularly in the last few months of the process where we all have been working under extraordinary circumstances due to the COVID-19 situation.
‘Thanks to our highly skilled and dedicated people, we have been able to successfully manage the process without compromising the daily operations and scheduled deliverables.’
Impressive results
Aquaculture feeds from the new line have been tested through the last couple of months and have shown impressive results, said BioMar.
Pellets are now in a much better diameter/length ratio, and the inter-size gap has been improved for a smoother transition between pellet sizes.
The improved process control technology will further strengthen BioMar’s ability to focus on more physical quality parameters, such as sinking speed and water stability
‘We have just been through the fry feed season and we received very positive feedback from farmers around the world on the quality and performance of the products,’ said Brandt-Clausen.
The Brande plant produces specially designed feeds for more than 40 aquaculture species, including trout, salmon and yellowtail kingfish.
