Land-based smolt project advances, contract targeted by end of summer.
Vevelstad Settefisk is moving forward with plans to build a large land-based salmon smolt facility at Lauknes on Norway’s Helgeland coast, in the north of the country.
The plant is designed to produce up to 20 million smolt annually. Smolt are juvenile salmon raised in freshwater before being transferred to sea farms, making them a critical input for the wider salmon farming industry.
The project carries an investment framework of more than NOK 1 billion (€90 million) and is expected to create 20 to 30 jobs. The company said all key permits for the smolt facility itself are in place, and it is aiming to sign a construction contract over the summer, subject to final conditions.
Vevelstad Settefisk has selected Artec Aqua VAQ and GL Bygg as partners for the first phase of the development. A project timeline has been established.
“If the remaining elements fall into place, the goal is to have a contract for the construction phase ready by the end of August,” said chief executive Knut Bråthen.
The first phase is planned with capacity for 10 million smolt, with expansion to the full 20 million dependent on market demand.
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Part of the project’s rationale is linked to Helgeland Miljøfisk, a separate planned land-based salmon grow-out facility in the same region. If realised, that facility would require significant volumes of smolt and is expected to act as a key customer.
However, Helgeland Miljøfisk has not yet secured its discharge permit, which is required to release treated water into the sea. The application is currently under review by Norway’s environmental regulator, with a decision expected before the summer.
Both projects share the same ownership through Aquaculture Innovation, which is part of the Torghatten Aqua group.
“We expect to receive approval for Helgeland Miljøfisk, but we can still proceed with phase one for Vevelstad Settefisk if we secure enough alternative smolt customers,” said Sten Roald Lorentzen of Aquaculture Innovation.
The earliest likely construction start for the smolt facility is in the first half of 2027, depending on contract signing and market conditions in the coming months.
