This is what a planned trout facility in Denmark will look like
Onnest has presented images of the facility it wants to build. The design is created by architects Hovaldt, Lendager and Schønherr.
Onnest is a Danish-registered company with Norwegian entrepreneurs working to establish a land-based trout farm in Hirtshals. The company is led by Samuel Muren and Håkon Volden, and its technical lead is Andrew Whiston, who runs a sustainable indoor prawn farm in Fife, Scotland.
"With Onnest Blue Garden, we want to show that the future of food production can be both highly advanced and in perfect harmony with nature. Our ambition goes far beyond just producing top-quality trout; we want to create a facility where water, energy, and nutrients exist in a continuous, smart loop, making the absolute best use of every resource," the company says in a post on its website.
To realise their vision, Muren and Volden say they chose an architect-designed building.
"We wanted a physical space that visually tells our story and captures what we stand for. Our goal is to create a landmark that the local community in Hirtshals can be truly proud of – a building that sparks curiosity and feels warm, open, and welcoming to everyone who visits. We are setting a new standard for responsible food production, starting right here in Hirtshals, with a vision that reaches far beyond Denmark's borders."
Progress
In April 2025, Onnest entered into an agreement with the municipality of Hjørring to purchase approximately 85,000 square metres of land regulated for aquaculture, at Egebakken and Hirtshals Transport Centre.
A few months later, in October 2025, the company selected Norwegian firm Optiras as the supplier of RAS technology for food fish production. Denmark's Assentoft Aqua will supply technology for the hatchery and fry phase.
The ambition is to utilise water, energy and nutrients in as closed a cycle as possible. The company has also mentioned plans to use algae for feed production.
Onnest is also participating in the CONVEY project in Hirtshals, which will establish the production of green hydrogen. The plan is, among other things, to utilise excess heat and oxygen from the hydrogen production in the fish farming facility.
According to Danish company information, Norwegian Onnest AS is the majority owner of Onnest ApS, with a registered ownership stake of between 90–99.99%.
