Columbi Salmon is aiming for 15,000 tonnes of salmon by 2024. Salad production is also on the cards.
In a press release, Columbi Salmon writes that it has entered into an agreement with Billund Aquaculture for the development of a recirculating aquaculture system at its land-based salmon farm in Oostende, Belgium.
“Columbi Salmon aims to establish the leading sustainable food production company in Europe, and we’re pleased to announce our partnership with Billund Aquaculture to develop the world’s most sustainable RAS facility. By leveraging Billund Aquaculture’s proven technologies with low development risk and highly efficient production capabilities, Columbi Salmon can deploy our new technologies for carbon-neutral salmon farming and unparalleled access to key markets to supply our customers within hours,“ said Columbi Salmon CEO Anders Hagen.
“With our innovative RAS design, water from the canal is pumped through filters and a water cleaning facility before being poured into the fish tanks. Some of the fresh water used in the smolt phase will then be utilised in a greenhouse for the production of salad. The rest will be cleaned and re-used,” Hagen added.
Columbi Salmon wants to produce up to 15,000 tonnes of salmon as well as 4000 tonnes of salad by 2024.
Billund Aquaculture CEO Steffen Busk Jespersen said that he looked forward to working with the team in Belgium. “This collaboration, together with Columbi Salmon’s closeness to key markets and its carbon-neutral ambitions will make salmon farming truly sustainable,” Steffen Busk Jespersen, CEO of Billund Aquaculture concludes,” he added.
In September it was reported that Nordea Markets’ seafood analyst Kolbjørn Giskeødegård had left the investment bank to set up the EUR 151 million project. Back then, Columbi Salmon said it had EUR 28 million in funding, of which EUR 19 million was from the small salmon farmer Refsnes Laks.
