21,600-tonne land-based salmon farm planned in Chile
RAS facility would be situated in farming region of Los Lagos
A land-based salmon farm with an estimated annual production of 21,600 tonnes has been proposed by a company in Chile.
Smart Aquaculture has applied for permission to build and operate four production units of approximately 5,400 tonnes per year of salmonids each, from ova to a commercial weight of approximately 5.43 kilograms.
The project will cost US $180 million, with work scheduled to start in January 2024.
The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility will be located on the way to Pargua in the rural sector of El Espino, Los Lagos Region.
Route 5 South
The site is next to Route 5 South, in an area where there is a wide variety of facilities such as food processing plants, ports and airports, which enable the distribution of salmonids within Chile or internationally, Smart Aquaculture said in a submission to the Environmental Assessment Service.
Smart Aquaculture’s choice of location “is also based on the great human and professional capital that Los Lagos Region has in terms of salmon farming, especially in the province of Llanquihue,” said the company.
The farm could also draw staff from surrounding sectors such as Maullín, Calbuco and Puerto Montt, which have workers with extensive salmon industry experience, said Smart Aquaculture.
