Key component in place for huge flow-through salmon farm

The gigantic structure is one of the key components of what will be the world's largest land-based flow-through salmon facility, Arctic Seafarm writes on Facebook.

"The intake basin is a crucial component of the entire facility. It will pump all the water into the food fish facility, and ensure that the water can be distributed from the correct depth to ensure a stable temperature year-round," Eirik Sviggum, project manager at contractor Totalbetong, previously told LandbasedAQ.

Arctic Seafarm is a food fish farm in Langsetvågen in Nesna municipality, Nordland, with a planned production of 10,000 tonnes of salmon in the first phase and a capacity of 25,000 tonnes when the plant is fully developed. The water system is central to the design, and includes the intake basin that will supply the entire plant with seawater from optimal depths.

Built in dry dock

The intake basin was launched from a dry dock earlier this week and towed approximately 800 metres across a fjord before being lowered in a controlled manner on to five strip foundations and anchored in the rock. The operation marked a historic milestone for the project.

The structure is now safely in place after a carefully planned and executed process.

The sump weighs 2,490 tonnes and measures 33 x 11 x 11 metres. It was built in dry dock to avoid extensive underwater work, ensure precision, and provide safer working conditions. With the capacity to deliver up to 500,000 litres of seawater per minute from depths of 25 and 85 metres, this is one of the most critical components of the entire water system.

Complex operation

The sump is dimensioned for both Phase 1 and a future Phase 2 – a strategic move that reduces the CO₂ footprint by only making sea interventions once.

Totalbetong, which is behind the production, describes the work as technically demanding, with extensive calculations of ballast and stability. A significant part of the technical equipment was installed in the basin even before launching, which further increased the complexity.

Arctic Seafarm is majority-owned by UK-registered international investment fund manager EMK Capital, which controls 80% of the company, while salmon farmer Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett owns 10%. 

Arctic Seafarm plans to release its first smolts in 2026. The land-based facility will be fully operational in 2027 and wil have a tank volume of 86,000 cubic metres.