ICELAND— BioMar, one of the world’s largest producers of quality feed for fish and shrimp farming, has entered an agreement with the Icelandic fishing group, Sildarvinnslan to build a modern, high-tech aquafeed production facility in Iceland, that aims to achieve net-zero within its own operations.
Carlos Diaz, CEO of BioMar Group said “As part of our strategy, above and beyond, we are committed to expanding our business to new geographies and demonstrating our sustainability ambitions. Partnering with Sildarvinnslan offers a great opportunity to grow the Icelandic industry locally, and in a sustainable way”. Through this move, BioMar will become the only global feed company in the Icelandic market.
The joint venture offers an opportunity to fully utilize byproducts from Sildarvinnslans’ fishing operations and tap into BioMar’s extensive R&D portfolio and knowledge in the use of novel ingredients. The agreement includes Sildarvinnslan’s Laxá production facility and existing feed operations which have been importing and distributing BioMar starter feeds for several years.
Our expertise in the production of sustainable marine raw materials and byproducts, our fish processing and farming technologies combined with BioMar’s feed production knowledge will give us the opportunity to supply Iceland’s aquaculture industry with feed that will enable a differentiated offering to the global market
“Our expertise in the production of sustainable marine raw materials and byproducts, our fish processing and farming technologies combined with BioMar’s feed production knowledge will give us the opportunity to supply Iceland’s aquaculture industry with feed that will enable a differentiated offering to the global market,” said Gunnþór Ingvason, CEO Síldarvinnslan.
The Icelandic aquaculture industry has grown tenfold since 2010 and prides itself on a prime sustainability focus and increased organic production at sea. The newer land-based projects are taking advantage of the natural environmental conditions to reduce resource requirements by utilizing geothermic sources.
The Icelandic aquaculture industry has grown significantly in the last decade and is recognised for its strong focus on sustainability and organic production at sea, with recent land-based projects using natural environmental conditions by utilising geothermal sources, thus reducing the need for long import routes to the country.
This makes it an ideal location for a net-zero facility that will reduce the need for imported feeds while benefiting from Iceland’s cost-effective green hydro and hydrothermal energy supply and locally available ingredients.
Liked this article? Subscribe to Food Business Africa News, our regular email newsletters with the latest news insights from Africa and the World’s food and agro industry. SUBSCRIBE HERE.
