Sunndalsøra. Image: Nofima.

Smolt projects set to share €2.4 million

In order to meet research requirements associated with closed-containment facilities, the transition of smolt to seawater and research on post-smolt right up to slaughter size, Nofima's Board of Directors has given the green light to the €2.4 million renovation of their research station at Sunndalsøra.

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Station Manager Synnøve Helland believes that the upgrade will be a boon to both flexibility and quality.

“This will allow us a greater degree of flexibility in the way we design our experiments, in that separate recirculating facilities (RAS) are to be put into use in more tank systems, and we are installing larger tanks to enable us to keep fish until they reach slaughter size. At the same time, the upgrade will entail an increase in quality, as the conditions for experiments in closed-containment facilities, all the way up to slaughter size, can be controlled much more easily than for experiments in cages,” she said.

Station Manager Synnøve Helland sees a high demand for research in closed-containment facilities up to slaughter size. With the planned upgrade to the research facilities, the premises for meeting this demand will be in place in two years. Photo: Nofima.

The plan, established by local management and administration, is formulated such that the work will be executed in five phases over a period of five years. Two phases will be executed in 2017 and 2018, respectively, while investments in the subsequent three phases will be tied in to the overall development of Nofima’s finances, given that all surplus in Nofima is invested back into infrastructure and research. The total estimated expenses for the plan amount to NOK 22 million, equivalent to just over €2.4 million.

The station has facilities for research on salmon, rainbow trout, cleaner fish, halibut and cod and is home to almost 50 Nofima researchers, technicians and laboratory staff.