General Operations

No, it is not an experimental facility. Nordic Aquafarms currently operates three commercial facilities and Belfast will be the fourth. Recirculating aquaculture systems, also known as RAS, have been used for decades to farm a large variety of fish, shellfish, marine worms, and plants. Water treatment within the facility will implement the highest level of technology available to ensure optimal fish health as well as a clean water return to the bay. There are dozens of large land-based facilities currently operating internationally, with the highest concentrations in Norway. An increasing number of companies are taking fish to harvest size in these systems as an alternative to net pens, with rapidly developing technology.

Our senior staff has raised salmon for decades. Our designs are modular with independent tank systems. The Belfast facility will be developed in phases which allows for consistency in procedures repeated for each module. Among the companies announcing new land-based facilities, Nordic is one with a unique experience base and the benefit of over 50 employees. Our design team has designed facilities for Grieg Seafood, Marine Harvest, and other large seafood players over the past 20 years. We are fortunate to be a RAS company with this level of in-house experience.

The discharge pipe will extend approximately 1 kilometer from shore. Environmental scientists worked to find an optimal placement based on extensive studies of the bay, currents, and modeling. The placement is based on optimal dispersion point at a preferable depth and the pipe will not be visible as it will be buried below the intertidal.

While lights are used inside the farm at night to create a stable environment for our fish, there are no windows or skylights that allow light to escape at night. Walking paths will be lit with downward-facing lights for employee safety. Most entrances and walking paths are in between buildings.

No. All processes take place indoors. Fish tanks are clean and emit no odors. Co-products are stored indoors in sealed containers to prevent odors and frequently removed from the facility.