Leading infrastructure group Besix has joined hands with Tech Group, a UAE-based group providing turnkey-construction and engineering services, and Ocean Harvest, a newly formed tech-enabled agribusiness, to set up a salmon farming facility in Abu Dhabi.
Announcing the venture, Besix said it entered into a strategic partnership with the two to design, construct and operate a high-tech, land-based salmon farm in the UAE capital.
The strategic partnership will focus on bolstering Ocean Harvest’s engineering and construction management capabilities as well as supporting the company with project-finance structuring and government relations, it stated.
Ocean Harvest’s first project is being delivered together with industry-leading RAS technology partner and supplier, Billund Aquaculture A/S and global water treatment leader, SUEZ – Water Technologies & Solutions.
Ocean Harvest designs, builds and operates Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) facilities which localize the production of Atlantic Salmon and other salmonid species of fish.
Leveraging advanced wastewater treatment technology, RAS technology enables the re-use of over 99.5% of process water. This almost eliminates wastewater discharge and helps protect fragile ecological systems.
In conjunction with the partnership, Besix and Tech Group will join Ocean Harvest’s board of directors as investors and strategic partners.
Ocean Harvest quickly secured $1 million in pre-seed capital to fund its design and engineering activities from Besix, Tech Group and leading angel investors, said the company statement.
The company is now focused on fulfilling its project development plans as an early mover in the region’s fast-emerging controlled-environment agriculture industry.
Upon successful completion of the first phase of Ocean Harvest’s inaugural facility, the company plans to expand its operations in order to displace expensive, air-freighted supplies from overseas, it added.
Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, said: "Tech Group is dedicated towards the continuous pursuit of innovative opportunities that support the sustainable development of the UAE. Food security is among the most important priorities in the UAE national agenda, and we believe that our partnership with Ocean Harvest will generate true and tangible impact for our society."
Peter Lembrechts, Head of Concessions and Assets at Besix, said: "Together with Ocean Harvest and Tech Group, we share a common vision of the environmental responsibility of companies: they are at the heart of the solution for a virtuous, greener economy, particularly in agribusiness."
"As strategic partner, we will provide key technical expertise in the fields of civil engineering and water treatment processes, as well as project structuring and financial advisory support," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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