The Big Boat Egg will soon reach its destination
Salmon farmer Nordlaks' new semi-closed cage will arrive in Hadsel, northern Norway this weekend after a three-week voyage from Turkey.
Published
Fish Farming Expert's Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no, has previously written about Nordlaks' new semi-closed cage, which has been under construction in Turkey. The hull has an inner diameter of 60 metres and an outer diameter of 72 metres.
At the time it went under the project title "Hydra", but now it has been named "Storbåtsegget", which translates as The Big Boat Egg.
The pen is designed for a maximum permitted biomass of 3,120 tonnes and will have a production volume of 86,700 cubic meters.
The unit has a sealed roof and walls down to 20 metres below sea level to prevent lice and disease microbes.
This weekend it will arrive in Vesterålen after a three-week voyage from Turkey.
Major milestone
The Storbåtsegget is transported on deck by GPO Emerald from the GEMAK shipyard in Turkey.
"It will be a major milestone to get Storbåtsegget in place in Hadsel. Storbåtsegget brings together aquaculture and advanced technology. Innovation is an important part of Nordlaks and Storbåtsegget combines the best of traditional farming with modern technology to give the fish better living conditions," says the fish farmer's executive vice president, Eirik Welde, in a press release.
Float-off
The approach to the location "Sørvika" at Raftsundet will take place on Saturday morning/early afternoon.
Before it is possible to receive Storbåtsegget from GPO Emerald, a number of preparations are required.
Anchoring and removal of sea protection is scheduled to take place on Saturday, so that the so-called "float off" can take place on Sunday. The plan is for Storbåtsegget to be moored during the next week. Until that happens, several vessels will be moored with towlines attached to Storbåtsegget.
Visited the yard in Turkey
Nordlaks owner Inge Berg has been to the shipyard in Turkey and seen Storbåtsegget before leaving for Norway.
"It will be special to see Storbåtsegget here at home. This has been a long process and we are excited to get the facility operational. It is especially exciting since this is a development project and our first semi-closed facility," says Berg.
The goal of Storbåtsegget is to both reduce sea lice and improve the health of the salmon. At the same time, the steel walls of the structure make it possible to test a location exposed to currents that would not be suitable for traditional cages.
The plan is to stock the first salmon into Storbåtsegget in May.
"We are now moving into the next phase with Storbåtsegget. This is a major project for Nordlaks and contributes to local jobs, strengthens the supplier industry and creates value for society. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed - employees, suppliers, Hadsel municipality and other administrations - which means that we now have a new and innovative facility in place," says Welde.
