Kingfish Maine is continuing its partnership with Ramboll related to Kingfish Maine’s first US-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in Jonesport, Maine. Ramboll’s environmental and engineering teams have supported Kingfish through the project’s permitting process. In its newly awarded contract, Ramboll will continue to support the project through the complete design and engineering phase for the land-based aquaculture project, which is projected to produce 6,000–8,000 metric tons of yellowtail annually upon completion.
“Based on collaboration with Ramboll over the past year, and their experience with RAS facilities in Scandinavia, we are confident in this global partnership and the anticipated operational results of our advanced RAS technology facility in Maine,” said Ohad Maiman, founder and CEO of the Kingfish Company.
Kingfish Maine is owned by The Kingfish Company, which currently operates the Kingfish Zeeland land-based RAS facility in the Netherlands. The company has received a number of sustainable practice awards: It’s the first land-based farm to receive Best Aquaculture Practices certification and the first Aquaculture Stewardship Council certified source of yellowtail kingfish.
The Jonesport facility, which launches the Kingfish Company’s expansion into the U.S., will be designed with the same cutting-edge technology used in its Netherlands facility, which includes advanced and multifaceted culture and support systems. The site in Maine was selected for the state’s clean seawater source, the benefit of available seafood processing and logistics infrastructure, academic institutions supporting RAS education and R&D, the state’s regulatory advancement toward RAS, and the positive reception received from the Jonesport community.
Ramboll’s support of the project has been a synergy between its Environment & Health and Advanced Manufacturing businesses. While the project is the largest of its kind for Ramboll in the Americas, Ramboll has led several major projects in the aquaculture industry around the world, helping companies implement innovative and sustainable strategies to improve seafood production, reduce environmental impacts, use energy and water more efficiently and get the product safely to market. Most recently, Ramboll was selected to help design and build the first large-scale, land-based salmon farm in Sweden.
