First 'Varig' closed cage is launched in Norway

On Sunday, November 1, "Varig 001" was launched at Bauta Industry Park in Aukra, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, Bauta Fishfarms reports in a press release.

Work on the design of Varig – which translates as “lasting” or “durable” - began in the spring of 2024, and production began at Bauta Industry Park in the spring of 2026. According to the company, the launch required extensive preparations, coordination and professional expertise.

“This is a big day for us. Varig represents several years of work and belief that we can contribute to the future of the aquaculture industry. Seeing the construction come to sea is a big moment,” said Gjermund Kvernmo Langset, chief executive of Bauta Fishfarms and chief data officer of Bauta Group.

Developed for the future of aquaculture

According to the company, Varig is designed to address some of the biggest challenges in the aquaculture industry. The closed steel structure is intended to provide better control over the production environment and help reduce the environmental impact of farming.

The solution is based on the owner group’s expertise in steel structures, operation of wellboats and both land-based and floating closed aquaculture.

The ownership group, which consists of Bauta Group, Rofisk, and Prophylaxia, has also established the company OceanDock which has purchased the first Varig cage and is leasing it to the farmer. The goal of the business model is to make the technology available to more farmers.

“We believe in our design, and believe we can help solve some of the challenges in the aquaculture industry. The industry has great potential both for further growth and for better utilisation of existing capacity, but it must happen in a sustainable and appropriate way,” said Kvernmo Langset.

Collaboration and expertise

Approximately 200 people were involved in the construction of Varig. The project has brought together several professional disciplines, and collaboration and professional expertise have been crucial to realising the construction.

Bauta Maritime has been responsible for the steel construction and equipment. Bauta Metal supplied pre-cut material and Bauta Electro was responsible for electrical installation and the automation system. In addition, other local suppliers have contributed.

The company has the capacity to produce up to 30 such steel cages per year.

To be tested with 200,000 fish

The launch marks the transition to the next phase. Varig will now be completed before being towed to Gjermundnes in Vestnes, where Prophylaxia will put the cage into use.

The plan is to stock fish six to eight weeks after handover. The first production cycle will provide important knowledge about how the solution works under real operating conditions.

“We plan to stock 200,000 fish, which will be in the cage for almost four months before being moved to open cages. During this period, we will conduct extensive tests of, among other things, water circulation, oxygen supply and sludge handling,” said Bjørn Vegard Løvik, board chairman of Prophylaxia.

The test period will provide experience and data that can be used for further development and optimisation of the solution.

The next step is operation

With the new cage at sea, a key part of the project has been completed. Now all that remains is completion, transport to Gjermundnes and preparations before it can be put into use.

“We have now reached one of the major milestones in the project. There is still work to be done, but a successful launch was crucial. We are now looking forward to getting the cage operational and gaining experience that will contribute to further development,” said Kvernmo Langset.