Automation and controls contract signed for 25,000-tonne salmon farm
Electrification and automation company ABB has won a contract to supply an advanced control system for a large land-based salmon facility being built in Nordland, Norway.
ABB will deliver automation to the process plant at Kvarøy Arctic Seafarm, at Langsettvågen in Nesna municipality. The order includes control rooms, instrumentation, electrical panels and frequency converters, and lighting control in the growth tanks.
The company will also be responsible for electrical and instrument installation, which will be carried out by its consortium partner, Fokus Elektro AS.
25,000 tonnes per year
Kvarøy Arctic Seafarm will be a hybrid flow-through facility where water is pumped from the sea for filtration and disinfection before entering.
The facility has a permit for 15,000 tonnes of standing biomass, which developer Arctic Seafarm AS says will enable it to produce 25,000 tonnes of salmon annually.
Work is now under way on the facility, which will be built in two modules, one after the other. The first module will facilitate the production of 10,000 tonnes of salmon per year (8,000 tonnes gutted weight) and will create 40 new jobs.
The facility is scheduled to be ready for full production in the autumn of 2027. The first smolts will be stocked into the facility in 2026. When the facility is fully developed, it will provide employment for up to 100 people at Nesna.
Fish welfare
ABB’s contribution is important, said Vegard Wigstøl, project manager for main contractor Eyvi.
“Water quality affects both growth and health, and it is important that this is monitored and adjusted automatically in a safe manner,” Wigstøl explained in a press release.
“Operators must have a complete overview of the status of the facility at all times, be able to operate and make adjustments to control parameters from the control system for the best possible conditions for growth and health. We are confident that ABB’s solution will ensure good fish welfare, which is a key priority in all our projects.”
Complete solution
Lars Wasa Andersen, segment manager for aquaculture at ABB, said the agreement with Eyvi is a declaration of confidence.
“There are many subcontractors who contribute on the system side, which means that ABB can utilise their expertise and technology to integrate the various systems into a complete control room solution that controls all processes,” said Andersen.
“This contract is important in ABB’s ever-increasing focus within the aquaculture segment. We now hope for more such contracts in the future.”
Private equity fund EMK Capital became the majority shareholder in Arctic Seafarm AS, which is building the facility in partnership with marine pen salmon farmer Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett AS.