Onnest chooses Norwegian and Danish solutions for sustainable trout RAS
Assentoft Aqua will deliver hatchery and juvenile phases and Optiras will supply grow-out units for facility using green hydrogen production by-products
Onnest, which aims to be the world’s most sustainble trout farmer, has announced a partnership with Norwegian company Optiras AS for the grow-out phase of its land-based farm in Hirtshals, Denmark.
The company also announced that it is partnering with Danish company Assentoft Aqua for the hatchery and juvenile phases of the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility.
Onnest ApS, which plans to use residual heat and oxygen from wind-powered hydrogen production at Hirtshals, said it had decided on its suppliers after nearly 10 months of intensive evaluation in a search for the most advanced aquaculture system solutions on the market.
New standards
“The process has included screenings, meetings, and site visits across Europe, resulting in valuable partnerships, new insights, and a deeper understanding of technological options within land-based aquaculture,” said Onnest in an article on its website.
The company said that both Optiras and Assentoft share its commitment to setting new standards for land-based aquaculture through the implementation of cutting-edge RAS featuring energy- and water-efficient processes and exceptionally low mortality rates.
It added that its facility in Hirtshals will serve as a flagship project for the company’s growth in the Nordic region and contribute to strengthening Denmark’s position as a leader in sustainable seafood production.
Shared vision
“Selecting the right partners has been one of the most important steps for Onnest,” said the company’s chief executive, Samuel Muren. “With Optiras and Assentoft Aqua, we have found suppliers who share our long-term vision of sustainable, land-based aquaculture driven by technology and respect for nature.”
Optiras says its complete aluminum system offers a ready-to-use, modular design that significantly cuts down on start-up time and capital costs. The system includes an "all-in-on" solution called AquaDUCT that Optiras says revolutionises degassing and protein skimming, with the practical functionality of energy efficient water transport.
Water renewal time of 15 minutes is said to be three times as quick as traditional RAS units, and the energy-efficient system reduces energy consumption to less than 2kWh per kilo of produced fish.
Leirvik shipyard
The Optiras units are constructed by Norway's Leirvik shipyard, which owns half of Optiras AS. A pilot unit has been used by marine salmon farmer Bremnes Seashore, and two units have since been delivered to land-based salmon farmer Baring Farsund AS in LundevĂĄgen in Farsund, in the southwest corner of Norway.
Baring Farsund is using the units to produce post-smolts for marine salmon farmers, but has plans to produce harvest-size fish as it expands in phases.
“As a RAS-innovator, Optiras AS is proud to be selected as a system supplier to a market innovator like Onnest. Land-based fish farming on nature’s own terms is our common goal, and we look forward to carrying out our part of the job,” said Optiras chief executive Asle Lygre in the article on the Onnest website.
