SalMar Aker Ocean secures approval for Ocean Farm 2 at new site.
SalMar Aker Ocean has received regulatory approval to establish “Ocean Farm 2” at a new site in Frøya, 16 kilometers north of the existing “Ocean Farm 1” facility, marking a further step in the company’s expansion into offshore aquaculture.
The “Ocean Farm” concept is a semi-submersible structure designed for salmon farming in exposed offshore locations. The second iteration will be 70 meters high with a 120-meter diameter, slightly larger than its predecessor. The facility will accommodate between three and four million salmon, with a permitted biomass of between 6,500 and 8,750 tonnes at any given time.
Regulatory hurdles and strategic ambitions
Ocean Farming, a subsidiary of SalMar Aker Ocean—85 percent owned by SalMar and 15 percent by Aker Capital—submitted its application for the new location in 2023 and secured final approval on January 28, 2025.
“Following an extensive regulatory process, we are pleased to have secured final site clearance,” said Trine Sæther Romuld, CFO of SalMar Aker Ocean, in a statement to local media outlet Hitra-Frøya.
SalMar Aker Ocean has stressed the urgency of progressing with the project. In a letter to the State Administrator dated January 13, the company warned that delays in site confirmation could disrupt its investment timetable and jeopardise shipyard commitments. Hitra-Frøya published an excerpt from the letter:
“[..] Ocean Farm 2 at Frovær is a large-scale project with significant capital requirements. Despite tight global shipyard capacity, SAO has secured a construction slot. The timeframe from project commencement to deployment exceeds two years. Any delay in securing final site clearance could lead to the loss of this shipyard slot, with severe financial and operational consequences.”
