The Ocean Tank "Storbåtsegget"

• Track the GPO EMERALD (the transport vessel) in real time.

Updates:

• October 30th 2025: GPO EMERALD departs northward carrying Storbåtsegget
  

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  October 23rd 2025: Storbåtsegget is loaded onto the vessel in Turkey
  

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  January 31st 2022: Agreement signed with Turkish shipyard group Gemak for construction of the production tank
  

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  February 2021: Nordlaks acquired the “Hydra” project

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  April 2018: The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries grants four development licenses to Hydra Salmon Company AS (“Hydra”) for the development of semi-closed aquaculture technology

Images and videoes are available for downloading here. Please credit the photographer/Nordlaks. The album is updated regularly.

On April 6, 2018, the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries granted four development licenses to Hydra Salmon Company AS (“Hydra”) for the development of their semi-closed aquaculture technology called the Production Tank.

In February 2021, Nordlaks Oppdrett (“Nordlaks”) assumed responsibility for Hydra, and began completing the design and realization of the project in accordance with the Directorate’s permit.

When Nordlaks acquired the Hydra companies, we got all rights to the technology, project foundation, and related development licenses. During the transition, there was continuous dialogue with the Directorate of Fisheries.

After the acquisition, Nordlaks collaborated with NSK Ship Design in Harstad, which led the process toward final design verification and preparation for tendering to shipyards. The Turkish shipyard GEMAK was chosen to construct the tank and install systems from subcontractors. All subcontractor agreements are handled by the shipyard according to Nordlaks’ specifications. Nordlaks has followed the construction process closely with on-site supervision throughout.

All essential systems required for aquaculture operations are integrated into Storbåtsegget. The structure is self-sufficient, requiring external support only for major operations such as fish transfer or feed delivery. The unit is designed as an “unmanned facility,” meaning operators will not live on board but will visit daily. A high degree of automation and remote monitoring will be implemented. Remote control will be used where practical, for example for fish feeding. Storbåtsegget has an integrated feed storage system and is therefore independent of a separate feed barge. It will be connected to shore power, with both backup and emergency generators in case of power outages.

The unit consists of three main parts: surface module, tank/hull wall, guide vane module.

Surface module:

The surface module consists of a circular hull and a dome-shaped roof section. The hull (surface module, tank wall, and guide vane module) is made of steel. The roof trusses are also steel, while the outer roof covering is made of a lighter material. The module is sealed except for air intake and exhaust.

The hull has an inner diameter of 60 meters and an outer diameter of 72 meters at the surface. The surface module contains feed storage, engine room, workshop, and a dead fish handling system, among other installations.

Tank/hull wall:

The sealed hull wall extends from the surface module down to about 20 meters below the waterline. It functions as a physical barrier, protecting the fish from environmental impacts. This section also includes columns and a lower pontoon, with ballast tanks and buoyant volumes providing stability, buoyancy, and strength during construction, transport, installation, and operation.

Guide vane module:

This is a rigid, permanent part of the structure made up of vertically and horizontally angled steel plates (“guide vanes”) that run along the lower circumference of the tank wall. The function of this section is to harness the natural current to create water circulation and exchange inside Storbåtsegget without the need for active energy input. An auxiliary water exchange system will also be installed to ensure water quality and fish welfare under all current conditions.

The Ocean Tank has a capacity of up to 3,120 tonnes of salmon (four development licenses). It is designed to operate without permanent staffing, similar to conventional aquaculture facilities. The unit does not depend on a feed barge and will be powered by electricity from shore. Several operations can be remotely controlled, including feed intake hatch operation, camera monitoring of fish and equipment, and fish feeding. The tank is cleaned using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) during production and between production cycles. It is equipped with two quays for docking and mooring of personnel transport, service vessels, and other support craft. Storbåtsegget will be located at the high-current site Sørvika (location no. 13936) in Hadsel Municipality.