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GeoSalmo breaks ground

GeoSalmo breaks ground

Written by:
Laufey Kristín Skúladóttir

Yesterday, GeoSalmo broke ground on its new state-of-the-art hybrid flow-through salmon farm located west of Þorlákshöfn.

Á íslensku fyrir neðan // Icelandic below

This marks a turning point for the company which now aims to start production in 2026. Considering the unpredictable nature of Icelandic winters, guests were invited to view the ground-breaking ceremony via livestream at a reception hosted in Ölfus Town Hall.

“We have worked tirelessly over the past two years to design and develop our new facility, making yesterday a joyous occasion for us. The fish farm and associated buildings that we have broken ground on today are among the largest constructions undertaken by a private company in Iceland, and if done right, land farming could emerge as a leading industry in this country,”

says Jens Þórðarson, CEO of GeoSalmo.

GeoSalmos‘ first functional land-based salmon farming facility will be capable of producing up to 24,000 tons annually. The initial phase of the project will produce roughly 7,500 tons and the first products are expected to launch in 2027. The company completed a successful financing round at the end of last year with Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic and Dutch investors participating. Among new investors joining the project are SKEL Investment Company, Úthafsskip, the ownership group of seafood company Eskja, Norwegian industrial conglomerate Endúr ASA and Dutch fish processing and distribution company Adri& Zoon.

At yesterday‘s groundbreaking ceremony the first sod was turned by Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Infrastructure, Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, Minister of Justice, and Hreiðar Hreiðarsson, Head of Aquaculture at GeoSalmo. It was a pleasure to have the two ministers participate, considering their local roots in the area.

“It is a cause for celebration that substantial investments are being made here to foster employment and create value in Ölfus. Such dedicated investment is of great importance for the local community and neighbouring areas, as it stimulates the economy and contributes to societal advancement. It‘s not just a matter of constructing one sizable project – it’s about cultivating a flourishing community that will come to hold significance to the country's entire economy,”

says Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, Minister of Justice. 

“Salmon farming is becoming an increasingly important part of the world’s protein production, and witnessing the dedication that defines the company’s initiative in this field is truly gratifying,”

says Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Infrastructure.

“Us locals understand the importance of distinguishing ourselves in the production of eco-friendly food. With GeoSalmo’s new land-based salmon farm near Þorlákshöfn, these efforts are on the rise. We recognize that true prosperity comes from creating value. This project has been in development for a while, with different stakeholders joining forces to establish a sustainable and responsible business. This groundbreaking is indeed a reason to celebrate, as operations are set to begin in the near future,”

says Elliði Vignisson Mayor of Ölfus.

GeoSalmo – Fyrsta skóflustunga

Fyrsta skólfustunga var tekin að nýrri landeldisstöð GeoSalmo vestan Þorlákshafnar í gær.

Þessi áfangi markar tímamót fyrir fyrirtækið sem stefnir nú að því að hefja framleiðslu árið 2026. Veðrið lék okkur grátt og því var ákveðið að bjóða gestum til viðburðar í ráðhúsi Þorlákshafnar til að horfa á beint streymi af skóflustungu athöfninni.

„Við höfum unnið sleitulaust undanfarin tvö ár að því að hanna og þróa nýju stöðina okkar, sem gerir gærdaginn að ánægjulegu tilefni fyrir okkur. Fiskeldisstöðin og tilheyrandi byggingar sem við hefjum framkvæmdir á í dag eru með stærstu framkvæmdum sem einkafyrirtæki hefur ráðist í á Íslandi og ef rétt er að staðið gæti landeldi orðið að undirstöðu atvinnugrein hér á landi,“

segir Jens Þórðarson, forstjóri GeoSalmo.

Þessi fyrsta starfstöð GeoSalmo  er hönnuð til að geta framleitt 24.000 tonn af laxi árlega. Fyrsti fasi stöðvarinnar mun framleiða allt að 7.500 tonn og er áætlað að fyrsti fiskur komi á markað 2027.  Fyrirtækið lauk  fjárfestingalotu í lok síðasta árs með norksum, sænskum, íslenskum og hollenskum fjárfestum. Meðal fjárfesta sem koma að fyrirtækinu eru SKEL fjárfestingafélag, Úthafsskip og eigendahópur sjávarútvegsfyritækisins Eskju, norska samsteypan Endúr ASA og hollenska fiskvinnslu- og drefiingar fyrirtækið Adri&Zoon.

Sgurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Innviðaráðherra og Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, Dómsmálaráðherra ásamt Hreiðari Hreiðarssyni yfirmanni fiskeldis hjá GeoSalmo tóku fyrstu skóflustunguna.  Það var afar ánægjulegt að fá ráðherrana til að taka þátt í viðburðinum en þau hafa bæði tengingu í sveitarfélagið og eru þingmenn kjördæmisins.

„Ég fagna því að hér séu aðilar sem sem eru reiðubúnir að fjárfesta verulega til atvinnuuppbyggingar og verðmætasköpunar hér í Ölfusi. Fjárfesting sem þessi er afar mikilvæg fyrir samfélagið hér sem og nærliggjandi svæði enda mun hún efla hagkerfið og stuðla að samfélagsþróun. Þetta er ekki bara spurning um að byggja upp eitt stórt verkefni heldur að skapa varanlega blómstrandi samfélag sem kemur til með að skipta máli fyrir þjóðarbúið allt.“

segir Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir dómsmálaráðherra.

„Laxeldi verður sífellt mikilvægari þáttur í próteinframleiðslu heimsins. Því er afar ánægjulegt að sjá kraftinn sem hefur einkennt áform fyrirtækisins í landeldi.“

segir Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, innviðaráðherra.

„Við heimamenn er með mjög skýra sýn á mikilvægi þess að marka okkur sérstöðu í framleiðslu á umhverfisvænum matvælum. Með nýrri landeldisstöð GeoSalmo við Þorlákshöfn eykst enn slík starfsemi. Við þekkjum vel að velferð verður ekki fengin nema á forsendum verðmætaframleiðslu. Verkefnið hefur verið lengi í mótun og ýmsir aðilar komið að borðinu með metnað til þess að byggja upp ábyrga starfsemi til frambúðar. Það er því mikið fagnaðarefni að fyrsta skóflustungan hafi verið tekin og það styttist þar af leiðandi í að starfsemin hefjist“

segir Elliði Vignisson bæjarstjóri í Ölfusi.

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