Ænes Inkubator has officially opened

On 9 June, the state-of-the-art RAS facility in Ænes, located on the eastern side of Hardangerfjorden, was officially opened. During the opening, Siri Tømmerås, AKVA group's representative and Commercial Director for Land Based, stated that the facility is among the most advanced ever built, and the data and experiences collected will be highly significant.

"The data and experiences are of invaluable value as they will contribute to establishing best practices for this type of facility. We need more knowledge about both the operation and breeding of fish in such facilities to ensure cost-effective production while safeguarding fish health," says Tømmerås.

The facility, funded by Lingalaks, Eide Fjordbruk, and Tombre Fiskeanlegg, has been under development for several years. The road to completion has not been without challenges, from delays caused by the pandemic to a fire two years ago. Despite these setbacks, the dedicated team at AKVA group, in collaboration with Veidekke as the main contractor, has succeeded in realizing the Ænes facility. Ænes Inkubator features five RAS (recirculation Aquaculture Systems) modules, with four of them equipped with ZWC (zero water change) technology, achieving an impressive recycling rate of 99.9 percent.

Spanning over 9,500 square meters, including a 1,000-square-meter administrative section, the facility is divided into five separate departments housed in different halls. The first three departments utilize steel tanks, while the remaining two use concrete tanks. The facility also includes a hatchery, vaccination hall, feed storage, and various support functions. The fish facility annually produces 3,000 tons of smolt. Approximately 20 employees work at the facility.

AKVA group has experienced several exciting news recently, including the opening of Ænes Inkubator.