SeafoodSource is closely following seafood processing and equipment innovation by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector.
- Madrid, Spain-based fisheries solutions technology company Satlink announced the acquisition of Xeos Technologies.
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada-based Xeos has more than 20 years of experience developing asset-tracking solutions and communication services for high-value marine devices. The acquisition aims to strengthen the development of its maritime technology solutions, Satlink said in a release.
“The agreement with Satlink represents an important recognition for the work done since the company’s foundation," Xeos Co-Founder and President Derek Inglis said in a release. "We believe Satlink is the perfect partner for Xeos and will allow the company to accelerate its international expansion while enhancing the current product portfolio, fostering even more innovative solutions and, accordingly, bringing Xeos to the next level."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Satlink works with more than 7,500 clients, including governments, maritime regulators, and fisheries and exports products and solutions to over 90 countries. The company will soon open a new office in Canada, and Xeos's leadership team will reinvest into Satlink.
“We are very excited to integrate Xeos and welcome the team onboard, with whom we share the same vision for the future: relentless innovation, commitment to quality, and improving ocean knowledge and sustainability through technology. That's where we want to make the difference,” Satlink Founder and Chairman Faustino Velasco said.
- Stokmarknes, Norway-based salmon farmer Nordlaks Group has signed a contract for an expansion of its smolt plant in the northern Norwegian town of Nusfjord. Nordlaks Group is working with Norwegian construction company Overhalla Betongbygg as its supplier for the project and has called it the “Overhalla concept.”
The facility, which currently houses flow-through operations, was last renovated in 2007. The renovations will include a 6,000-square-meter RAS facility.
“Having delivered over 20 buildings to Nordlaks, we are reasonably sure that this will be a very good collaboration," Overhalla Betongbygg Sales and Marketing Director Per Einar Dahl said in a release. "The aquaculture industry is an important segment for us, and we will deliver tailor-made solutions of the highest quality for the new facility in Nusfjord. It is gratifying that investment is beginning again in the aquaculture industry."
The building will consist of octagonal concrete vessels with an embedded liner. The vessel walls will be insulated and function as external walls, according to Nordlaks.
“The hatchery production is changing, and there is a higher demand for larger smolt. Larger smolt will reduce the time the fish is in the sea considerably and can, therefore, reduce the number of necessary treatments against salmon lice and also the lice load in the wider environment," Nordlaks Head Øivind Skjevling said. "The rate of investment in aquaculture has decreased after the ground rent tax was introduced, but investments on land are not subject to ground rent tax, which makes it easier to control these investments."
- Somna, Norway-based aquaculture equipment provider AKVA Group announced the sale of two AC850 feed barges to an unnamed customer in the Norwegian market, scheduled for delivery in October 2024 and February 2025, respectively.
The airborne feeding system barges contain 12 feeding lines, and are equipped so two more lines can be added, AKVA Group said in a release.
“We are excited about the opportunity to deliver more feed barges to the Norwegian market, which strengthens our position in aquaculture. We are proud of our range of feed barges, and it gives us additional joy to be able to offer the two largest barges we have in our portfolio. Our barges stand out for their robustness and durability,” AKVA Group Project Manager Kent lms Borsheim said.
Both barges have an 850-ton carrying capacity and are designed for locations with waves up to nearly six meters. A possible deal for a third deal could be signed in 2024, according to AKVA Group.
“We have delivered several barges to the Norwegian market, and previous deliveries have been carried out in a very good and professional manner, including the work done by our service department," AKVA Group Key Account Manager Joran Strand said in a release. "In total, this tells me that the customer has great trust in AKVA group as a company and in the products we deliver. The customer focuses on quality, development, and standardization of good solutions."
Photo courtesy of Satlink
