Scottish Sea Farms ramps up freshwater treatment capacity
Salmon producer contracts second, bigger RO wellboat to tackle lice and gill issues
Salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms has substantially increased its capacity to provide freshwater treatment for its fish by contracting a second wellboat equipped with reverse osmosis (RO), which desalinates sea water.
The Ronja Kvaløy, owned by Norwegian wellboat company Sølvtrans, complements the Inter Caledonia, which SSF acquired on contract earlier this year.
Both wellboats can use RO freshwater to treat for sea lice and improve gill health. SSF also has use of the 1,000m³-capacity AquaShip wellboat Aqua Viking, which doesn’t have an RO unit, so must pump its fresh water aboard.
At 3,000m³ capacity and 76 metres in length, Ronja Kvaløy is a bigger vessel than the 2,200m³ Inter Caledonia.
Crystal clear water
Shetland regional production manager Richard Darbyshire told SSF’s newsletter, The Source, that with the farming estate having grown following the acquisition of Grieg Seafood Shetland in late 2021, the company needs to expand its resources to match.
SSF was impressed by what Grieg had achieved with freshwater treatments when it took a look at that company’s operations before committing to buy it.
“We have seen the benefits of freshwater treatments over the past two years and as we increase our production, the Kvaløy will give us extra capacity,” said Darbyshire.
“The reverse osmosis system not only saves time sourcing freshwater but also provides crystal clear water, allowing us to monitor the fish better during treatment.”
