Work on preparation of the Great Northern Salmon site, on the bed of a former paper mill lagoon, has stopped for the winter. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring.

Photo: Great Northern Salmon

Stopping work for winter

Great Northern Salmon has finalised its management team and is now taking a break on site until spring, when construction is due to begin

Ulrik Tallhaug Sydnes Ulrik Tallhaug Sydnes Ulrik Tallhaug Sydnes JOURNALIST

Published October 30, 2025 - 9:53 a.m.

In the small town of Millinocket, in the US state of Maine, Great Northern Salmon (GNS) is developing a RAS facility that will have the capacity to produce 8,900 tonnes (7,500 tonnes HOG) of Atlantic salmon per year.

GNS is run by the Norwegian couple Erik Heim and Marianne Næss. The latter is the company's chief executive.

Construction starts in the spring

Work on the project began in September 2024 with the dredging of a former paper mill lagoon which will be the location for the fish farming facility.

Work on the site has continued throughout the year, GNS has designed the facility and raised capital. Now, in a post on LinkedIn, the company says that work will be suspended for the winter, which can be very cold in Maine.

GNS has signed a 100-year lease for the site.

The Great Northern Salmon management team on site. The line-up includes co-founders Erik Heim, second from left, and his wife Marianne Næss, fifth from left.

Næss has previously told LandbasedAQ that the plan is to start the actual construction work in the spring. When the facility is completed, GNS will have the entire production process from roe to edible fish gathered in one location.

Team in place

Throughout 2025, GNS has made several important hires, and has put in place a team with extensive experience from land-based farming.

Most have also worked for Norwegian companies such as MOWI/Marine Harvest and Nordic Aquafarms.

The company recently hired Katie Pullen as its new head of finance, and says its management team is now complete.

Collaboration with supplier

Earlier this year, GNS announced a strategic partnership with Norwegian technology company Eyvi, which will deliver the RAS system for the new facility – and for future projects.

As part of the agreement, Eyvi is also making a significant investment in GNS.

"We are well under way with detailed design with Eyvi and are very satisfied with the collaboration. We are also under way with civil design and planning of the actual development phase," Næss said this summer.