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Last May 3, it was possible to witness the first restocking of the so-called Marine Donut in Sekken, off the coast of Molde, Norway. On an excellent sunny day, the wellboat arrived with 15,000 salmon of 2.5 kilograms. If all goes according to plan, in two weeks, the aquaculture company SalMar will introduce another 185,000 fish. The structure designed and built by the Norwegian company Bluegreen is licensed for a maximum standing biomass of 1,100 tons, equivalent to 200,000 catch-size fish.
Representing Bluegreen were its three top managers, Nils-Johan Tufte, Geir Andresen and Elg Thunes. The baton and responsibility for Marine Donut now passes to Erlend Are Larsen, SalMar‘s operations manager at the facility.
As project manager, Geir has spent a lot of time in Molde during the last six months: “We are incredibly satisfied with the restocking! The fish are calm and healthy, and are well distributed within the facility. The day after stocking, not a single dead fish has been recorded,” he said in an atmosphere of joy, excitement and relief when.
Nils-Johan Tufte, CEO of Bluegreen, who came up with the idea of a toroid fish farm in 2015, is now waiting for new orders. As he explained, the company received interest from many fish farmers, and not only in Norway but also in Canada, Scotland, the Faroe Islands and Chile. “But they have all wanted to wait to see how the fish thrive in the facilities before signing. We believe there will be a new order soon,” he explained.
Finalist in the Aquaculture Awards
In the other hand, and for the second consecutive year, Bluegreen is a finalist in the “Innovation of the Year” category for their closed aquaculture facility, Marine Donut. The Aquaculture Awards is an annual highlight in the aquaculture industry, bringing together over 600 leaders from around the world.
The Aquaculture Awards 2024 ceremony will take place at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort, Scotland, on May 14th – 15th. This year, awards will be presented in 13 categories, including “Rising Star,” “Collaboration,” and “Sustainability.” Bluegreen is a finalist in the “Innovation” category for their closed aquaculture facility, Marine Donut.
With the Marine Donut of Bluegreen are competing Ace Aquatec for A-BIOMASS; Otanics Technology JSC for Tomota; OTAQ Group Ltd with LPAS (Live Plankton Analysis System); Tritonia Scientific Ltd, with Generate 3D Digital Twins of the Seabed; and WellFish Tech, for Clinical Blood Biochemistry of Salmonids.
“Regardless of the outcome, we are honored to be among the finalists and grateful for the significant international attention Marine Donut has garnered. We look forward to the awards ceremony in May!”, they recently said.
Leading international expertise in thermoplastics
Bluegreen is a corporation with leading international expertise in thermoplastics. Their competence, innovative mindset and really unique solutions enables them to see opportunities “where others see limitations”, they say.
They highlight that the ocean covers 70 percent of the earth’s surface and contains 95 percent of the habitats on our planet. “The ocean provides us with oxygen, much of the fresh water we drink and the food we eat. To ensure that the sea remains a valuable resource for future generations as well, we must act now.”
“Our vision is to deliver the world’s most environmentally friendly solutions for and in water – hence the name Bluegreen: “Green solutions for the blue water and air”. We focus in particular on three industries: The aquaculture industry, environmental technology (CCUS) and more traditional infrastructure (water distribution and renewable energy).
“We are a start-up with a long history. I am so proud to work with the people who have built the two largest thermoplastic structures in the world, and soon we will break that record again,” Tufte said about the company.