Pure Salmon announced a new 10,000 tons per year RAS facility to be built in Boulogne-Sur-Mer, in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. Pure Salmon France will be the largest salmon RAS facility in the European Union.
The new facility will represent an investment of approximately €175 million ($197 million) and will create over 160 permanent jobs within the local community. The project has received significant support from the French government at local, regional and national levels, including grants and other financial support, as well as administrative assistance.
Pure Salmon produces a clean, healthy and fresher salmon that is grown in an environmentally friendly manner that protects marine ecosystems and constantly recycles the water it uses. The new state-of-the-art RAS facility will be fully integrated from hatchery and grow-out to processing and smoking. Construction of the site is expected to commence in Q4 2020, with the first harvest of market-size salmon expected in 2023.
As France is amongst the largest consumers of salmon in the world, it was a natural choice for Pure Salmon’s second site in Europe as it supports the company’s local production for local consumption model. As such, the fish will be sold primarily to the French market in a variety of forms including smoked salmon and fillets. Stephane Farouze, board director of Pure Salmon and chairman and founder of 8F Asset Management, said that “we have chosen France over other European countries because of its long reputation for producing exceptionally high-quality food, the large salmon consumer base and also for the support and assistance we have received from all levels of government in France.”
Pure Salmon started producing its first salmon at its RAS facility in Poland in 2018, which recently received its ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certification. At full capacity, the site produces 450 tons per year. In addition to its facility in Poland and this second location in Europe, Pure Salmon has announced several of other locations across the globe including Japan, America and China which will contribute to Pure Salmon’s goal to produce 260,000 tons of salmon per year, all free from antibiotics, pesticides, hormones and microplastics. Each Pure Salmon farm uses RAS technology provided by Pure Salmon’s technology partner, AquaMaof Aquaculture Technologies.
