According to a 2018 report by the Research and Markets Institute, the global salmon market will grow to 4.5 million tons by 2023. Arctic Offshore Farming is therefore looking for ways to farm fish in a more sustainable way. Underwater fish pens are less susceptible to sea lice, which have already led to a decline in salmon production in Norway, one of the world's largest salmon exporters. The offshore farm planned off the province of Troms in the Norwegian Sea in the Arctic Ocean is said to leave a smaller ecological footprint than conventional fish farms located within the region's fjords.

The offshore region is more susceptible to extreme weather and wave conditions than traditional farms within the fjords. A ballast water system with pontoons from ABB is intended to stabilize the offshore fish farm in rough seas.

© ABB

ABB will supply a comprehensive package of electrical, automation, plant control and telecommunication solutions for the offshore fish farm to ensure maximum efficiency and minimum environmental impact. To withstand the harsh conditions of the Arctic Ocean, ABB will supply a ballast water system with pontoons to keep the fish pens stable in the rough Norwegian Sea. In addition, ABB will develop control and monitoring systems with sensors and automation technology that will allow the enclosures to be operated remotely. The entire facility is scheduled to go into operation at the end of the third quarter of 2020.

This salmon farm will also be connected to ABB's digitalization portfolio 'Ability' - the digital, cross-industry software solutions will collect environmental data such as weather conditions, ocean currents, oxygen levels and water temperature, as well as monitoring pH levels at different depths and the amount of biomass in the enclosures. "This unique concept is the perfect platform for ABB to showcase its vision to build a sustainable and efficient aquaculture industry," says Kevin Kosiko, Managing Director of ABB Energy Industries. "The unmanned fish pens are monitored and controlled from a feeding barge 400 meters away. This reduces the need for human intervention, lowers fuel and power consumption and opens up new opportunities for marine and land-based fish farming in terms of animal welfare, traceability and food safety."