Land-based aquaculture company Stolt Sea Farm (SSF) has broken ground on the construction of RAS II, its new recirculation facility in Tocha, Portugal, for the production of sole.
The new facility will be similar to the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) operations that SSF already has in Cervo, Spain, and on the same site in Tocha.
SSF says both of these sites have exceeded expectations in terms of performance and return on investment.
RAS II will allow for up to 95% of the water used for its operations to be recirculated, reinforcing SSF’s commitment to environmentally responsible aquaculture practices.
The Tocha project is the latest step in SSF’s ongoing expansion programme. Earlier this year, the company expanded its sole broodstock facility in Merexo, Spain, and it is also halfway through an extension to its sole hatchery in Cervo, Spain. Both are key milestones on its journey to achieving its 12,000-tonne sole production target by 2035.
“Everyone at SSF is excited to see this project beginning at Tocha. So much talent, effort and collaboration has been put into it by our amazing teams; it makes me immensely proud to see it finally break ground. It was a joyful event, and sets a landmark for our company, as we continue to execute our growth plan,” SSF President Jordi Trias said.
“Growing in aquaculture is not an easy task, and SSF continues to be an exception in many ways. This new RAS sole facility will take us one step further towards achieving our long-term ambition and delivering on our company purpose to ensure that future generations continue to enjoy wonderful seafood.”
Stolt Sea Farm is a division of Stolt-Nielsen Limited (SNL), a long-term investor and manager of businesses focused on opportunities in logistics, distribution and aquaculture.
