New version Marine Donut a hole lot better says Bluegreen
Floating closed containment system improved following damage to prototype
The floating closed containment Marine Donut system has been modified after manufacturer and developer Bluegreen identified what it called a “structural issue”.
No fish escaped as a result of the incident and immediate measures were taken to secure the facility and repair the damage, the company said in a press release.
Design improvements have now been made to the next version of the prototype, Marine Donut 2.0, which is being operated by SalMar.
Project progress
“We take the situation very seriously and are working closely with SalMar to safeguard fish welfare, environmental considerations, and continued project progress,” said Nils-Johan Tufte, CEO of Bluegreen.
“At the same time, this serves as an important reminder of why prototyping is an essential part of technology development. As a technology provider, our role is to learn, improve, and deliver robust solutions based on real-world experience.”
Despite the incident, which was routinely reported to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, conditions inside the Marine Donut have been very good, said Bluegreen. The fish have showed low mortality, strong appetite, and excellent growth throughout the production cycle.
Torus-shaped
The torus-shaped Donut has a capacity of 22,000m³ and draws water from a depth of 40 metres. The maximum allowed biomass is 1,100 tonnes
The first full-scale production test was completed in 2024, and in May, SalMar began its second production cycle, with 185,000 salmon stocked at its Seterneset site off the coast of Molde. The fish, stocked at around 3kg, are expected to reach harvest weight of approximately 5.5kg by August 2025.
Geir Andresen, commercial director and partner at Norway based Bluegreen, said: “With the adjustments we’ve made, we are better prepared for future deliveries. Marine Donut is a pioneering solution, and this experience has helped us make the technology even more resilient.
Early stages
“Aquaculture has undergone tremendous technological progress over the past 30–40 years. No innovation is without its challenges in the early stages.
“It is through these kinds of experiences that we develop robust, safe, and forward-looking technology.
“We by no means take situations like this lightly. We observe, collaborate with our clients, and make continuous improvements – always with fish welfare as our top priority.”
Along with Norway, Bluegreen is looking at Canada as a potential market for the Marine Donut, and particularly British Columbia, where net pen salmon farming will be phased out by mid-2029, unless the new government reviews the policy put in place by former premier Justin Trudeau.
