Canada invests CAD 14.5m in BC floating closed cage technology
Bluegreen will adapt its closed-loop Marine Donut farming technology to the conditions on Canada's Pacific coast. A CAD 51 million project will also lay the foundation for local production in British Columbia.
Canada's Ocean Supercluster (OSC), which is primarily funded by the federal government, is investing CAD 14.5 million (£7.7m) in the project, which is led by Norwegian company Bluegreen.
The company will establish manufacturing capacity in Campbell River on Vancouver Island. It will be Bluegreen's first industrial base outside Norway, and the plan is to manufacture and supply Marine Donut systems to the North American market from there.
"This is an important milestone for Bluegreen. We have developed, built and documented Marine Donut in Norway. Now we are taking the technology out into the world. That Canada's Ocean Supercluster has chosen to invest in the project is a strong statement of confidence in the technology and its international potential," says Nils-Johan Tufte, chief executive of Bluegreen and inventor of Marine Donut.
Post-smolts or food fish
Marine Donut is a large, floating, circle-shaped closed aquaculture system for salmon farming in the sea. The technology can be used for both post-smolts and food fish production.
The closed system has so far been used for part of two production cycles in collaboration with the world's second largest salmon producer, SalMar. The total production has been close to 2,000 tonnes of fish.
The Donut has a capacity of 22,000m³ and draws water from a depth of 40 metres. The maximum allowed biomass in Norway is 1,100 tonnes
The first full-scale production test was completed in 2024, and on May 4, 2025, 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, were harvested two months later.
Adapting for Canada
The next step will be to adapt the technology to the environmental and operating conditions in British Columbia (BC), on Canada's Pacific coast. Open-net pen salmon farming will be banned in BC from mid-2029, so those that wish to carry on farming must do so in a land-based facility or in a floating system that meets stringent government requirements.
Bluegreen plans to build up local production expertise and supply chains in British Columbia.
“Our ambition is not to ship finished systems across the Atlantic. We are going to build local industrial capacity in Canada. Campbell River will become a base that enables us to manufacture and deliver Marine Donut systems to the North American market over time,” says Tufte.
He points out that the project is both about validating the farming technology itself and establishing the industrial infrastructure around it.
“Marine Donut has been commercially demonstrated through two production cycles in Norway, and will now be adapted and validated for the environmental and operational conditions along Canada’s Pacific coast. At the same time, we need to build local production capacity, establish supply chains and develop the right expertise. This project gives us the opportunity to take these steps in a structured and industrial way,” says Tufte.
Agreement with First Nation
The Wei Wai Kum First Nation in Campbell River has approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU), that supports further dialogue and development of the project.
Plans include local capacity building in thermoplastic manufacturing and Marine Donut operations, as well as training opportunities for members of the first nation.
“We greatly appreciate the support that Wei Wai Kum First Nation has expressed through the approved Letter of Intent, and look forward to continuing the dialogue as the project progresses. Establishing a responsible presence in Canada requires respectful dialogue with First Nations and local communities. Our goal is to develop local skills, and create employment opportunities and long-term economic value as the project progresses,” says Tufte.
Bluegreen is also collaborating with Kingfisher Aquaculture Ltd., led by Brad Roberts, on market development in Canada, relationship building with indigenous peoples, and commercialisation of Marine Donut.
Focus on closed farming
Bluegreen is headquartered in Bamble and works with the design and construction of large structures in thermoplastics.
Marine Donut is central to the company's commitment to closed farming systems. The system is designed to provide greater control over the production environment, reduce exposure to sea lice and the risk of escape, and enable the collection of sludge and feed residues.
The establishment in Campbell River will provide the company with a local platform for further expansion into the North American market.
"We have built up unique industrial expertise in Norway. Now we will use this expertise to build something new on the other side of the Atlantic. We are incredibly proud of that. Campbell River is the first step in what we hope will be a long-term international growth journey for Bluegreen," says Tufte.
