GroAqua is currently building three more feed barges for Bakkafrost.
Krosssteinur, the world’s largest feed barge, purchased by Bakkafrost from equipment supplier GroAqua, has arrived in Funningsfjørður in the Faroe Islands. The barge, which is 50 meters long and holds around 1,100 tons of fish feed, was towed from Poland, where it was built. After final equipment testing and approval from the authorities, the feed barge will be put into use in Funningsfjørður within a few days.
“With the good experience we’ve had from the feed barges we’ve previously purchased from GroAqua, we expect that Krosssteinur will contribute positively to even better operations at the facility in Funningsfjørður,” said Oddvald Olsen, regional manager at Bakkafrost.
With this large feed barge, logistics for feed delivery to the site can be planned in a much more efficient way, while also raising the level of safety for both operations and personnel.
The Advanced Systems Can Be Controlled from Land
The feed barge is equipped with 24 feed lines. The feeding and control systems have been developed by GroAqua in the Faroe Islands. These advanced systems are automated and can be remotely controlled from land. With the new barge, it is possible to feed all 24 pens at the site simultaneously.
The feed barge operates on shore power, making energy consumption as environmentally friendly as possible, they explained in a press release.
“We’re grateful for the trust Bakkafrost has shown us by allowing us to deliver yet another feed barge to their operation. Together with Bakkafrost and our employees, we’ve developed a solution we are extremely proud of. We continuously work on improving the feed barges we build, including practical enhancements we develop in collaboration with local fish farmers,” says Ólavur Thomsen, project manager at GroAqua.
For their part, they reported that GroAqua is currently building three more feed barges for Bakkafrost. Two will be delivered this year, and the third in 2026.
Presence in Five Countries
The GroAqua group has over 100 employees who develop and produce technology and IT systems for the aquaculture industry. In addition to its headquarters in the Faroe Islands, the company is also represented in Norway, Scotland, Poland, and Denmark.
They assure their main purpose is to support the aquaculture sector by developing solutions which contribute towards a net-positive impact on the ocean. Our ambitions extend beyond that though – these are focused on three areas: the climate, nature and the community.
Regarding climate, in 2021, they made a commitment to reduce the CO2e emissions from our operations (scope 1 and 2) in the Faroe Islands by at least 50% by 2030. They are also working to reduce the emissions from our value chain. By January 2023, they had reduced our operational emissions by 13%.
“However, the biggest impact we can have is supporting our customers to reduce their GHG emissions. For example, by electrifying a salmon farmer’s feed barge, we can help them reduce their total energy consumption, which in the long run will eliminate most of the CO2e emissions.”
Also, regarding nature, they consider while managing their own impact is important, the biggest impact they can have is in supporting their customers to address their impact on nature, specifically the ocean.
“For example, by helping a salmon farmer reduce feed waste through our fish feeding solutions, we’ve supported farming sites in improving their feed conversion ratios. Improving this ratio reduces the use of feed and the resources and land used to produce it, as well as any potential pollution in the fjords.”
