Icelandic investment a statement of intent

The producer initially ordered a 320-tonne barge, but as salmon feed is not currently produced on Iceland, and has to be shipped from either Norway or the Faroe Islands, they decided to double the storage capacity to ensure continuous production.

The AC Panorama is rigged for 12 feed lines and is designed to handle waves with a 4.5 metre significant wave height, and has pleasant accommodation quarters that provide workers with even better working conditions and the feeding can be controlled from inside a comfortable control room.

The two companies have established a good partnership and AKVA group has previously delivered two fish farming cage facilities to Arnarlax. This feed barge is destined for the third facility.

“This is without question a major step ahead for the Icelandic salmon industry. Going forward we see it as very likely that other fish farming companies in Iceland will follow this trend and invest in technology that contribute to streamlining the operations,” says Stig Martin Bø, sales manager for AKVA group Nordic.

Icelandic ambitions

Arnarlax is the biggest salmon producer in Iceland and is currently licensed to produce 14,500 tonnes a year. However, it is now applying to increase production significantly, while the industry has expressed aims to produce more than 150,000 tonnes of salmon a year in the long term.

Norwegian investors – including Norway Royal Salmon, which bought 50% of the country’s second largest produce, Arctic Fish, in a deal worth €29 million, last year – have also recently entered the playing field.

Akva group's goal is to contribute to the development of modernized and efficient workplaces that are aligned with a vision of streamlining and commercial operations on Iceland.

“We want to be a key partner in the Icelandic fish farming adventure. Thus it is rewarding to be able to supply technology and solutions that are in accordance with Arnarlax's vision of growth,” he concludes.