European Investment Bank to inject US$38M in Oceanloop’s sustainable aquaculture expansion

GERMANY – The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a US$38 million loan to German food-tech company Oceanloop, aiming to advance sustainable shrimp farming within the European Union.

The funding, supported by the EU’s InvestEU guarantee program, will enable Oceanloop to scale its indoor shrimp farming operations and further develop its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology. 

Founded in 2012, the Munich-based company operates two pilot farms in Kiel and Munich, producing shrimp domestically as an alternative to imports from outside the EU.

The investment will focus on two projects: upgrading Oceanloop’s research and development center in Kiel, increasing production capacity from 5 tonnes to 60 tonnes annually, and building a large-scale inland shrimp farm in Gran Canaria. 

The Gran Canaria facility is projected to produce 2,000 tonnes of white-leg shrimp per year.

Oceanloop’s RAS technology uses advanced digital systems, including artificial intelligence and computer vision, to monitor shrimp health, growth, and stress levels. 

This approach allows precise control of farming conditions, aligning with EU sustainability and animal welfare standards.

Europe currently relies on imports to meet its shrimp demand, with over 5 million tonnes of white-leg shrimp produced globally each year. 

Fabian Riedel, Oceanloop’s founder and CEO, highlighted the risks to traditional seafood supply chains, citing climate change and overfishing.

The company also employs circular economy practices to reduce waste and emissions. 

These include using anaerobic digestion to produce biogas and vapor-thermal carbonization to create bio-coal fertilizers. 

Renewable energy from wind and solar installations will power the new facilities.

EIB Vice-President Nicola Beer emphasized the bank’s role in supporting technology-driven solutions. 

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