The Directorate initially decided to award the Havfarm concept only 10 licences, but following an appeal by the companies, they have increased this to 21 licences – enough to justify the construction of two of the novel systems.
“We are both proud and pleased that NSK Ship Design and Nordlaks have gained the trust from the Norwegian authorities,” Kjartan Karlsen, Managing Director of NSK Ship Design, told The Fish Site. “We must also praise the government for being vigorous and innovative. The last allocation of licenses gives the industry a unique opportunity to discover how far from the coast salmon farming is feasible, and finding answers to where the salmon thrives best in different seasons and weather conditions.”
The projected cost for developing, constructing and stocking the two vessel-like offshore farm units is around NOK 2 billion (£200 million), and the ministry feel that granting the extra 11 licences will help the development of the concept economically viable.
The real deal
Meanwhile Salmar’s Ocean Farm 1 – which was the first design to be awarded a development licence from the ministry arrived in Norway this week, after an 11-week journey from China, where it was constructed.
The 110-metre diameter system – which was reportedly mistaken for an alien spacecraft when being transported by container ship off the coast of South Africa – will initially be stocked with 1 million, 250-gram post-smolts and will be operated by a crew of 12.
