Andfjord Salmon appoints new contractor after split with builder
Norwegian landbased fish farmer Andfjord Salmon today announced that it has reached an agreement with north Norway-based contractor Entreprenør Harald Nilsen AS, together with concrete specialist Nornebygg AS as subcontractor.
Together, they will complete the two next land-based pools that form part of the current build-out phase at Kvalnes, on the island of Andøya.
The appointment of the contractors follows news last week that Andfjord Salmon had stopped paying its previous contractor, AF Hæhre & Contur Ans (AFHC) and has lodged a NOK 1 billion claim against the company for alleged gross negligence and breach of contract.
AFHC disputes the claim and said it was its decision to terminate the contract because it had not been paid.
Preparing to work in January
In a stock exchange announcement today, Andford Salmon said Entreprenør Harald Nilsen AS and Nornebygg AS have already begun preparations, allowing work on the construction site to start as early as January 2026.
Andfjord said several of the current site subcontractors will remain involved in the project, ensuring an efficient transition from AFHC.
“We are pleased to reach agreement with contractors that have extensive experience from concrete works, used to dealing with the climatic conditions in northern Norway and can start more or less immediately. This is also in line with our announcement on December 3 that the change of contractor is expected to have a non-material effect on our production plans,” said Andfjord chief executive Martin Rasmussen.
Cost-efficient contractors
Andfjord Salmon said the parties have agreed on a timeline and plan moving forward with the next two pools - K2 and K4 - scheduled for completion by spring/summer 2026, which is sufficient to maintain the fish farmer’s production plans. Andfjord Salmon estimates mobilisation costs of approximately NOK 20 million to replace AFHC.
The company said Entreprenør Harald Nilsen AS, together with concrete specialist Nornebygg AS, have recently completed a milestone concrete project for Norwegian power grid company Statnett and possess the prerequisites needed to carry out the final part of K2 and K4 in a safe and cost-efficient manner.
Andfjord Salmon and Entreprenør Harald Nilsen AS will also enter into dialogue regarding potentially collaborating on future build-out phases at Kvalnes.
Andfjord Salmon will provide an operational update, and present the company’s third quarter 2025 financial results, next Thursday, December 16.
