Lerøy Seafood Group is negotiating a new RAS facility in the region of Vestland, Norway. The plans are initially to develop the facility in three stages. The first and second stages represent further increases in the group's post-smolt production. The third and final stage will also provide facilities for post-smolt production but may also be used for salmon production up to harvest size. The location of the plant, including the links to the group’s farming operations in West Norway, could potentially provide successful interaction between sea and land. The first two stages will represent estimated costs of around NOK 1 billion ($119 million). Construction work is scheduled for completion in 2023.
In recent years, the group has made significant investments in several parts of the value chain, including the construction of facilities for smolt/post-smolt capacity in all the group's regions. Lerøy Sjøtroll’s Kjærelva facility is now complete and has an annual biomass production of around 4,000 tons. Lerøy Aurora completed the final construction stage of the new development in Q4 2020, and the facility is expected to reach full exploitation in 2021. Lerøy Midt can report that the developments to the Belsvik facility are going according to schedule. The plan is for completion by the start of 2022, and the facility is expected to produce around 5,000 tons of biomass.
The group's investments in improved smolt production and post-smolt production, combined with a number of other initiatives, will support the group's ambition for continued growth in volume and increased competitiveness by means of a reduction in production costs.
