Nordic Aqua Partners signs agreement with Benchmark for Ningbo project, set to start construction in January.
In a press release, Nordic Aqua Partners’ (NAP) writes that it has chosen Benchmark Genetics in a five years agreement to supply 9.5 million ova.
The first eggs will be delivered from Benchmark’s Icelandic operations in Q4 2021, as soon as the hatchery facilities are up and running in Ningbo.
Construction of the NAP land-based facility in Ningbo, China, will start in January.
NAP Chairman of the board Ragnar Joensen said that he was delighted about having secured supplies of genetics ahead of the start-up of construction.
“Benchmark Genetics has a proven record of their ability to supply live eggs all-year-round to destinations worldwide, and security of supply is of key importance to optimize the production planning at our facility,” he said.
Joensen added that the Chinese authorities and consumers are very concerned about food safety and that Benchmark’s biosecure facilities combined with a comprehensive screening system make the company confident that the eggs from Benchmark have the best starting conditions when entering into their RAS system.
“Their R&D capabilities and product offering, adapted for land-based RAS production add to the benefits of signing long term agreement with this provider,” said Joensen.
Benchmark Genetics Commercial Director Geir Olav Melingen said he was excited about signing yet another contract with a land-based project.
“We aim to be the leading supplier of genetics to land-based farming, wherever located around the globe. We have already supplied eggs to China since 2002 and have established a logistic system that so far has worked successfully, even during the challenging times of Covid-19,” he added.
Nordic Aqua Partner said it will be “the first fully integrated and commercially viable RAS facility in China,” with an initial capacity of 8,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon, with ambitions to expand first to 16,000 tonnes, and later to 40,000 tonnes.
Benchmark Genetics added that it was prepared to meet the growth of the land-based sector, both in terms of production capacity and customer services.
“We are strong believers in the opportunities of the land-based sector. As a result, we are currently strengthening our organization and continuously working on adapting our product offering to ensure that our customers are well-positioned to meet their targets,” said Melingen.
