AquaBounty broke ground on the construction of its first 10,000 metric ton Atlantic salmon farm in Pioneer, Ohio. AquaBounty was joined at the groundbreaking event by partners CRB, Innovasea, local and government officials, and key Ohio economic development leaders.   

“We are pleased to have officially begun building our next-generation, highly productive facility in Pioneer, Ohio, which will serve as a model for the aquaculture industry and our continued expansion,” said Sylvia Wulf, chief executive officer of AquaBounty. “This milestone comes after many dedicated teams completed extensive scientific investigation, analysis, testing, modeling, and regulatory review.”  

AquaBounty expects the project cost to be in the range of $290 million to $320 million, including a reserve for potential contingencies of $30 million. The company anticipates commercial stocking of salmon eggs to commence in late 2023. Once in full operation, the farm is expected to bring more than 100 new jobs to the region. 

CRB, an international leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, construction, and consulting solutions to the food and beverage and life sciences industry, will lead the design and construction of the facility for AquaBounty. Innovasea, a global leader in technologically advanced aquatic solutions for aquaculture and fish tracking, is designing the RAS technology for the new farm.  

“This is an important milestone in the advancement of aquaculture in the United States, and Innovasea is excited to lend our RAS expertise to the project,” said Innovasea CEO David Kelly. “AquaBounty’s state-of-the-art facility will go a long way to proving that commercial land-based aquaculture can be scaled up and remain both profitable and sustainable.” 

From left to right: Jason Robertson, CRB; Tim Derickson, JobsOhio; Lu Cooke, Governor’s office; Megan Hausch, WEDCO; David Kelly, Innovasea; Leonard Hubert, Portman’s office; Senator Sylvia Wulf, AquaBounty President and CEO; Sam White, CRB; and Ed Kidston, Pioneer Mayor.