Trout farmer in wave power world first

Norwegian trout farming company Svanøy Havbruk is set to become the world’s first aquaculture business to use wave power to generate electricity.

The work was carried out at the company’s site on the south side of Svanøy in the Vestland region.

A contract has been signed by Svanøy Havbruk for the installation of a full-scale Havkraft N-Class wave power plant close to the island of Svanøy, in western Norway.

This marks the start of commercialisation of Havkraft’s oscillating water column (OWC) wave power plants, a technology the company says can compete with any other energy source in its market segment near the shore.

The project is being supported by Sparebanken Vest and other unnamed partners, and will be installed on site next year.

The development is designed to help Svanøy Havbruk decarbonise its operations and move away from using polluting diesel fuels.

Havkraft has developed two types of OWC power plants – the first being the Havkraft N-Class which is fitted for nearshore locations, while the second – dubbed Havkraft O-Class – is more suitable for offshore operations.

Both products are based on the Havkraft Wave Energy Converter (H-WEC) and equipped with Bosch permanent magnet generators.

Havkraft manger Geir Arne Solheim said his company has the technology available at the pilot stage, but the involvement of Sparebanken Vest means it was now possible to move forward to something larger.

He believes his company possesses a unique technology able to produce enough power for a fish farm, and which can be scaled up.

Svanøy Havbruk R&D manager Solveig Willis, said the company is proud to be involved with this new development.

She added: “It has been our strategy for many years that we should produce good, clean food with the least possible impact on the environment.”

Since 2020, the company has electrified the four locations that are in use as of today, which corresponds to an annual CO_² reduction of 1,000 tonnes.