These closed systems, which have been developed with Hauge Aqua, are designed to eliminate lice problems and prevent particulate matter being released into the marine environment.
Each 20,000 m3 structure should be able to produce 1000 tonnes of salmon, at about 1.3 times the stocking density that is currently used in open net pen cages.
The news of approval has been greeted with excitement by Marine Harvest (MH), which stated that it “is pleased that the authority shares the view that ‘the Egg’ represents a potential new production solution within salmon farming which may contribute to further develop the salmon farming industry.”
However, the award of only four of the 14 development licences applied for for this concept has been a disappointment for the salmon producer.
“Marine Harvest will appeal the decision in relation to the rejection of the remaining ten development licenses for ‘the Egg’ concept. The appeal will be submitted to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries shortly,” the company stated.
MH had previously announced plans to invest NOK 600 million (£48m) in testing and developing the system, which is designed to be used within relatively sheltered environments such as the Norwegian fjords. If only four licences are granted, it will be interesting to see if the firm is able to justify the high initial investment.
Image courtesy of Hauge Aqua.
