Smolt production and the potential for solid waste collection in Norway

Summary

The yearly production of smolts in Norway tripled since 2000, to about 344 million individuals Norway in 2018. Although Nordland accounts for only 13 % of companies and 16 % licences, 30 % of all smolts were produced there. The number of licences and companies producing smolts has been steadily decreasing over the last years, while smolt production was increasing. This indicates that the industry is consolidating and becoming more centralized. We estimate that a total of approximately 8 000 tons of solids have been produced as dry matter in Norway in 2017. This translates to about 54 000 T of sludge with a dry matter content of 15 %. It is not clear how much of this resource is readily available for collection or commercial exploitation, since effluent treatment is not always required. However, the increasing use of large-scale RAS such as the system of Fredrikstad Seafoods can offer a readily accessible waste stream due to the separation of solids in operation. Considering that waste volumes will increase while the industry consolidates, it will become more likely that centralized solid waste valorisation processes will become not only feasible but also profitable through economy of scale.