PRESS RELEASE: Seaweed Solutions completes new 500-ton farm in Norway
SES
TRONDHEIM, Oct. 20, 2020 – Seaweed Solutions AS, a pioneer in seaweed cultivation, has completed the installation of infrastructure to farm a 19-hectare area in the Norwegian Sea with a capacity of 500 tons of seaweed, paving the way for it to sharply raise production and leverage its unique position to become Europe’s leading seaweed company.
To ramp up its next expansion phase, Hallvard Muri, a seasoned leader in marine industries, has joined Seaweed Solutions as chairman, bringing with him vast experience from his time as chief executive at Aker Biomarine, Akva Group and American Seafoods.
“I am excited to join the experienced team at Seaweed Solutions which is very well positioned in a growing sector of the aquaculture industry,” said Muri.
Seaweed Solutions has a fully integrated seaweed operation, including hatchery, farming and processing. With the new farm, which is ready for planting for the next growing season, the company has licenses for cultivation of more than 3,000 tons of seaweed and is looking for partners and investors to take part in this expansion. Until now production has been up to 100 tons.
“We are now entering a phase of rapid upscaling. With Hallvard on board, we are confident that Seaweed Solutions has the right team in place to become a significant player in Europe’s seaweed industry,” said CEO Jon Funderud.
“We have all the elements for our expansion in place, from seeding to harvesting and the right people, to ensure the supply of world-class raw materials that will contribute to environmentally friendly blue growth in the future.”
Seaweed Solutions recently changed its name from Seaweed Energy Solutions in a decision aimed at targeting a wider market, including the fast-growing feed and food sectors. Seaweed cultivation in Europe has increasingly been seen as a vital sector to provide a healthy, renewable, raw material that can be used in many ways, such as a food ingredient, animal feed and a potential replacement for products that rely on fossil fuels. Seaweed farming, which is dominated by Asia today, is growing at eight percent a year, making it one of the fastest-growing aquaculture sectors.
Seaweed Solutions was founded in 2009 after the invention of the Seaweed Carrier, with a vision to enable large scale ocean farming of seaweed. The company has invested 20 million euros on research and development since its inception.