Press release from H2 Green Steel By recognizing H2 Green Steel as a Climate Solutions Company, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, a partner of the UN-backed Race to Zero, validates the Swedish industrial start-up’s plan to deliver significant emissions reductions compared with traditional steel manufacturing. The Exponential Roadmap Initiative was launched to accelerate climate action and…
Press release from H2 Green Steel
By recognizing H2 Green Steel as a Climate Solutions Company, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, a partner of the UN-backed Race to Zero, validates the Swedish industrial start-up’s plan to deliver significant emissions reductions compared with traditional steel manufacturing.
The Exponential Roadmap Initiative was launched to accelerate climate action and solutions through the exponential scaling of ground-breaking products, services and projects. H2 Green Steel is a living example of such a project as it was founded in 2020 to accelerate the decarbonization of the steel industry. By qualifying as a Climate Solutions Company, H2 Green Steel not only commits to the Exponential Roadmap Initiative’s strict overall criteria in the 1.5°C Business Playbook, but also fulfills additional criteria.
Established companies can set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets for their operations. For an industrial cleantech company building an operation from scratch, other targets are more relevant. The Exponential Roadmap Initiative presents a framework in which a cleantech company can screen and verify its ambition and ability to scale climate solutions – exponentially. To be considered a Climate Solutions Company, the candidate needs to bring an offer to the market that reduces emissions intensity by more than 50 percent compared to the prevailing technology. In the case of H2 Green Steel, that number is 95 percent.
“Our goals at H2 Green Steel are anchored in science. In times where greenwashing is a real problem, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative offers a route for serious cleantech companies to validate that their ambitions and plans are Paris-aligned. It’s in our DNA to accelerate change towards sustainable solutions and to scale them exponentially. It’s why the company was established. When we start operations in Boden at the end of 2025, no other steel maker will have as small an environmental footprint as we do, but we hope all the others will follow quickly,” says H2 Green Steel CEO Henrik Henriksson
H2 Green Steel is building the world’s first large scale green steel plant. When H2 Green Steel’s plant in Boden begins operations the carbon intensity will be approximately 95 to 195 kg* of CO2 per tonne of steel, including Scope 1 and 2 emissions, compared to about two tonnes of CO2 in blast furnace-based steel making. Starting its green steel operations at the end of 2025, H2 Green Steel beats the steel sector by some 15 years based on the current Science Based Targets initiative’s 1.5°C-aligned steel roadmap. By demonstrating that it’s possible, H2 Green Steel hopes that others will be pushed to speed up and follow suit.
However, to H2 Green Steel that is not enough. In addition to the immense abatement via the steel production, H2 Green Steel also commits to and fulfills other criteria including:
– A net-zero target for the Boden plant in 2040, including both its own emissions (Scope 1 and 2) and those of its suppliers (upstream Scope 3).
– A commitment to cut the carbon intensity of our products (Scope 1 and 2) in half by 2035.
– An exponential acceleration of its decarbonization impact, through establishment of new sites and by engaging in new industry verticals leveraging green hydrogen production in the years to come.
– Collaboration with organizations, including civil society, that are pushing the climate action agenda.
“We are delighted to welcome H2 Green Steel as a member in the Exponential Roadmap Initiative together with other world-leading companies. H2 Green Steel is a true climate solutions company because over 90 percent of its income is derived from a climate solution – a climate solution that reduces emissions by 95 percent compared to business as usual. This is exactly the kind of solution that needs to be scaled exponentially to shift out fossil-based solutions. We look forward to collaborating on removing remaining barriers and scaling solutions faster through radical collaboration,” says Johan Falk, CEO of the Exponential Roadmap Initiative.
H2 Green Steel’s plant in Boden, Sweden will be the first of its kind to combine production of green hydrogen, green iron, and green steel in a single flow, using renewable electricity throughout the production process. Europe’s largest electrolyzer will produce the hydrogen used in the direct reduction-reactor process. It is in the direct reduction step that the bulk of the emissions reduction is achieved. A hot sponge iron product is then processed through an electric arc furnace together with steel scrap to a homogenous melt of liquid steel then onward to continuous casting and rolling as well as fining.
* depending on which steel product is being manufactured.
Originally published on 19 September.
Press release form Flasheye Helena Forsmark, CEO at Hatteland technology Sweden, Monica Myklebust Øyen, COO and VP Sales at Hatteland Technology Norway, and Ida Rehnström, COO at Flasheye. Flasheye, a leader in lidar software for infrastructure, and Hatteland Technology, a global technology provider known for its expertise across industries, are thrilled…
Press release form Flasheye
Flasheye, a leader in lidar software for infrastructure, and Hatteland Technology, a global technology provider known for its expertise across industries, are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership.
From now on, Hatteland Technology is a distributor of Flasheye’s lidar solutions for security and public safety in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. It’s a commitment that places them at the forefront of accelerating the adoption of advanced lidar technology in the field.
“Flasheye is a magnificent addition to our software portfolio. The partnership reaffirms Hatteland Technology’s commitment to providing cutting-edge surveillance solutions” said Monica Myklebust Øyen, COO &VP Sales at Hatteland Technology.
Flasheye has always been driven by a visionary mission – to democratize lidar technology, for monitoring on a grand scale by forging robust partnerships. Hatteland Technology, with its global network and comprehensive suite of technology solutions, represents the ideal ally.
Ulf Lindström, CEO Flasheye, see a lot of potential. “As automation and data-driven insights continue to reshape industries, the collaboration between Flasheye and Hatteland Technology promises to be a game-changer for businesses across the Nordic region and beyond“.
About Flasheye
Flasheye is a leader in lidar software for infrastructure, specializes in making advanced 3D data into invaluable insights across various industries. Their agnostic approach and support for multiple brands of hardware and platforms enable us to enhance automation, safety, and operational efficiency.
More about Flasheye at flasheye.se.
About Hatteland Technology
Hatteland Technology is a renowned, global technology partner that offers tailored solutions encompassing monitors, panel computers, industrial automation, network hardware, CCTV, and software. They cater to clients across diverse industries, including Maritime & Offshore, Transportation, Industrial automation, High security & Retail, and Defense, providing customers a one-stop-shop for advanced technology, excellence, and reliability.
More about Hatteland Technology at hattelandtechnology.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Flasheye:
Ida Rehnström, COO, Flasheye
Hatteland Technology:
Monica Myklebust Øyen, COO, VP Sales Nordic
Originally published on 19 September.
Press release from Fingrid Fingrid plans to waive grid service fees for a total of six months in 2024, thus reducing its customers’ grid service fees by approximately EUR 250 million. The plan is a reaction to the exceptionally large amount of congestion income. The company has already decided to waive the grid service fees…
Press release from Fingrid
Fingrid plans to waive grid service fees for a total of six months in 2024, thus reducing its customers’ grid service fees by approximately EUR 250 million. The plan is a reaction to the exceptionally large amount of congestion income. The company has already decided to waive the grid service fees for January, February and June 2024. The decision to waive grid service fees for the remainder of the year will be made in the summer of 2024. The connection fees for new grid connections will be adjusted to reflect higher construction costs as of 1 January 2024.
Fingrid’s main grid investment programme will enable rapid growth in the production and consumption of renewable electricity and support the achievement of Finland’s climate targets 2035. Clean, affordable and reliable electricity is a key competitive advantage for Finland. As the power system expands and becomes increasingly complex, the costs of operating the system also increase. At the same time, fluctuations in the price of energy and large transmission volumes in the main grid increase uncertainty in Fingrid’s market-based cost items.
Due to exceptionally large area price differences in 2022, Fingrid accumulated a significant amount of congestion income. Congestion income accumulates for Fingrid from the Finland–Sweden and Finland–Estonia transmission connections. The use of congestion income is determined in EU regulations. Fingrid uses congestion income to finance investments that increase electricity cross-border transmission capacity and to cover operating costs and waives grid service fees for its customers. As for 2024, the decision has already been made to waive the grid service fees for January, February and June. The waiving of grid service fees for the remainder of 2024 will be confirmed in the summer of 2024. The presented plan will not affect the pricing of the company’s other services.
“Fingrid’s key objectives are to maintain the system security of the power system at a high level and to enable the growth of the power system based on renewable electricity. This also contributes to securing an affordable electricity transmission price. Fingrid prices its services based on costs. When variations in the company’s market-based costs increase, this is inevitably also reflected in customer pricing. In the future, it is possible that the size of grid service fees will be adjusted more frequently than once a year,” says Senior Vice President Jussi Jyrinsalo, who is responsible for grid planning at Fingrid.
Connection fees 1 January 2024
The grid connection fees will be updated as of 1 January 2024 to reflect the rise in substation connection construction costs in accordance with the principles for the grid connection fees. The connection fees will be raised on all voltage levels.
Originally published on 21 September.
Press release from BODENNXT Once again, Boden has the best business climate in the county and remains in the top 50 list – despite an accelerating societal transition with the challenges it entails. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise carries out an annual survey of the business climate in the country’s municipalities. The results were published…
Press release from BODENNXT
Once again, Boden has the best business climate in the county and remains in the top 50 list – despite an accelerating societal transition with the challenges it entails.
The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise carries out an annual survey of the business climate in the country’s municipalities.
The results were published on Wednesday and the municipality of Boden maintains the top position in the county for the third consecutive year.
The overall score looks the same as last year, but in the ranking Boden drops five places, from 44 to 49.
“We see a slight dip in the ranking nationally, which is not entirely unexpected given the increasing complexity of the processes we deal with on a daily basis. It requires hard work as well as resources,” says Mats Berg, Head of Business relations in the municipality of Boden.
“Cornerstone of growth journey”
For several years, the municipality has worked strategically to strengthen and develop cooperation with Boden’s entrepreneurs and the local business community. This has also yielded positive results.
The ongoing societal transition places greater pressure on the municipal organization as a whole, but it does not mean that long-term development work is deprioritized.
“We have a good dialogue with our local business community and constantly tweak things to improve and optimize, as an attractive and well-functioning business climate is a cornerstone of our ongoing growth journey,” says Mats Berg.
Mats Berg, Head of business relations in the municipality of Boden.
Mats Berg, Head of business relations in the municipality of Boden.
Every year, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise measures more than 30,000 companies’ experiences of running a business in their municipalities. The survey responses provide a picture of how the business environment is perceived by businesses. The answers are then combined with five statistical factors to produce a ranking that allows comparison of Sweden’s 290 municipalities.
Originally published on 20 September.
Press release from Aker Solutions September 19, 2023 — Aker Solutions has secured a sizeable1) contract from Shell to provide brownfield modifications services and maintenance support for the Nyhamna facility in Norway. Shell, as technical service provider to Gassco, has executed an option to extend a framework agreement for another four years, or until September…
Press release from Aker Solutions
September 19, 2023 — Aker Solutions has secured a sizeable1) contract from Shell to provide brownfield modifications services and maintenance support for the Nyhamna facility in Norway.
Shell, as technical service provider to Gassco, has executed an option to extend a framework agreement for another four years, or until September 2028. The scope of the contract includes maintenance and modification services on the onshore Nyhamna natural gas processing plant in Aukra. The plant serves the Ormen Lange field and is connected to the Polarled pipeline in the Norwegian Sea.
Aker Solutions has, since 2007, delivered projects and provided services to the Nyhamna facility, where gas first arrives onshore before it transports to the UK.
“This contract will be included in our already strong backlog built on long-term customer relations. We’re pleased that Shell is giving us renewed trust to be its main contractor on this significant facility, and look forward to continuing the successful collaboration,” said Paal Eikeseth, executive vice president and head of Life Cycle, Aker Solutions.
The contract is of significance to the over 150 Aker Solutions’ employees in Kristiansund.
“This extension secures work for our employees on site at Nyhamna, our engineering office in Kristiansund, and it will provide ripple effects to local subcontractors and others,” said Eikeseth.
The contract will be booked as part of Aker Solutions’ third-quarter order intake.
1) Aker Solutions defines a sizeable contract as between NOK 0.5 billion and NOK 1.5 billion.
Originally published on 19 September.
Press release from Grieg Seafood Today, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), which Grieg Seafood is a part of, has published its final Recommendations for nature-related risk management and disclosure. The TNFD metrics for the aquaculture sector are also published in draft version. New York, 18th September 2023 The TNFD Recommendations aim to inform…
Press release from Grieg Seafood
New York, 18th September 2023
The TNFD Recommendations aim to inform better decision making by companies and capital providers, and ultimately contribute to a shift in global financial flows toward nature-positive outcomes and the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The TNFD comprises 14 Disclosure Recommendations which will enable companies to assess and report material and comparable information about dependencies, impacts, risk and opportunities.
Grieg Seafood has been one of 40 taskforce members, representing a variety of global sectors, corporations, financial institutions, and geographies, developing the Recommendations over a period of two years. The work has drawn on the support and active input of market and non-market stakeholders from almost 60 countries around the world.
Recognizing that nature issues may differ between sectors and geographies, the TNFD is developing additional guidance to various sectors, based on their unique interface with nature. Grieg Seafood is co-chairing the TNFD efforts to develop sector guidance for aquaculture, fishing, agriculture and other food industries.
Today, the aquaculture metrics are released in draft version. Grieg Seafood encourages aquaculture companies to provide feedback to the metrics.
Commenting on the launch, Andreas Kvame, CEO of Grieg Seafood ASA said:
“Today, our global food system is both highly dependent on nature and is also the cause of major impacts on nature. We strongly believe that food from the ocean can be a part of the solution, but only if we do it right and only if we tackle the nature-related risks that our industry faces. The TNFD provides a framework that helps aquatic food producers like us to mitigate risks and grasp opportunities in this space.”
The final Recommendations were launched today at an event at the New York Stock Exchange as part of New York Climate Week, with over 250 global leaders across business, finance, government and civil society.
Learn more about the TNFD Recommendations and find the draft aquaculture metrics here.
Originally published on 18 September.
Press release from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Andel and CIP will form a consortium to cooperate on two tenders for offshore wind farms in Denmark: Hesselø Offshore Wind Farm in Kattegat north of Zealand and Kriegers Flak II in the Baltic Sea COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For Denmark to reach the national…
Press release from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For Denmark to reach the national climate ambitions and lower the share of fossil fuels in the national energy supply, the green transition needs to be accelerated. This will only happen through an acceleration of renewable energy and only by speeding up the development and construction of offshore wind farms.
Earlier this year, a political agreement laid the foundation for the largest Danish build-out of offshore wind historically at 9GW. The partnership formed by Andel and CIP will play a central part in the build-out and delivering on the national ambitions with two of the country’s most notable companies working together on offshore wind farms placed attractively close to the Danish island of Zealand. The two parks will have a capacity to supply power to the equivalent of two million homes.
“The international climate and energy crisis is a threat to our energy supply, and it is of great importance that we support the build-out of renewable energy. We are very happy and proud to form this strong strategic partnership with CIP, a company with expertise within development, construction, and operation of offshore wind farms. In our investment program up to 2035, DKK 90 billion will be invested into growth and the green transition. Now, together with CIP we are ready, and it is our goal to win the tenders for Hesselø and Kriegers Flak II,” said Jesper Hjulmand, CEO of Andel.
The continuous build-out of offshore wind in Denmark serves not only a purpose of transitioning the power supply but will also be central to Denmark in keeping the global position as a global leader in renewables, while growing the economy, and creating jobs both during construction and operation.
“Hesselø and Kriegers Flak II are very important pieces of the puzzle that is the transition of the Danish energy system. It is of utmost importance that we keep the transition moving, and at Andel and CIP we are ready to do our part of the job. Andel has strong competences in operating electricity supply and trading energy in large volumes both financially and to consumers, so Andel is a partner that complements our competences very well. Our common ambition is to be an important driver in the realisation of the potential for even larger amounts of renewable energy generation in Danish waters,” said Jakob Baruël Poulsen, managing partner at CIP.
The Danish authorities have appointed attractive areas designated for construction of offshore wind farms in the Northsea, Kattegat, and the Baltic Sea through a screening process followed by pre-investigations of the sites. Hesselø Offshore Wind Farm is planned for completion by 2029 and Kriegers Flak II by 2030. The two parks will have a total minimum installed capacity of 1.8 GW.
About Andel
Andel is Denmark’s leading energy and fibre-optic group. We are also a cooperative society and a group with subsidiaries. The purpose of Andel is to create welfare and growth regionally and in society in general by providing vital infrastructure and future-proof energy solutions.
Andel has 2.8 million customers and is owned by 400.000 coop members. The company’s vision is taking responsibility for building a future for everyone and playing a leading role in the green transition. This will happen through an ambitious investment strategy with DKK 90 billion invested in electrical charging, transmission and customer-focused energy solutions. Andel has 2,300 employees. Annual revenue in 2022 was EUR ~50 billion. For more information, please visit www.andel.dk
About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) today is the world’s largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. The funds managed by CIP focuses on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X.
CIP manages ten funds and has to date raised approximately EUR 25 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from more than 150 international institutional investors. CIP has approximately 400 employees and 12 offices around the world. For more information, visit www.cip.com
For further information, please contact:
Andel:
Morten Kidal, Head of Media Relations
Phone: +45 21703799
Email: [email protected]
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners:
Oliver Routhe Skov, Head of Media Relations
Phone: +45 30541227
Email: [email protected]
Thomas Kønig, Partner – Investor Relations
Phone: +45 7070 5151
Email: [email protected]
Originally published on 15 September.
Press release from EntrepreNorth EntrepreNorth, a project with a mission to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across the North, is thrilled to announce the extension of its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The partnership, which honours Indigenous knowledge systems, creates social change, and generates new economic pathways, was first established in…
Press release from EntrepreNorth
EntrepreNorth, a project with a mission to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across the North, is thrilled to announce the extension of its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
The partnership, which honours Indigenous knowledge systems, creates social change, and generates new economic pathways, was first established in 2020 for an initial three-year period.Now a five-year partnership, this collaboration will drive a movement of Indigenous entrepreneurship that uplifts Northern leadership, mobilizes a community of changemakers, empowers the spirit of innovation, and makes financing more equitable for underserved communities.
The initial partnership, through the Mastercard Foundation EleV Program, allowed EntrepreNorth to get rooted and take its programming to the next level. Initiatives included the cohort-based Entrepreneur Growth Program, Business Ideation Workshops, and a pilot Indigenous Facilitator Certification Program. There was also a strong focus on storytelling through the production of business impact videos and EntrepreNorth’s podcast series, Venture Out.“We believe that Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs and social innovators can become catalysts of prosperity and drivers of social change within their own communities, and that the development of sustainable enterprises can create local economic opportunities to help break through poverty, address social challenges, and strengthen Northern ways of life,” says Benjamin Scott, EntrepreNorth Founding Project Director and Co-Lead.
“Our continued work with the Mastercard Foundation is a catalyst for bringing greater resources and partnerships to the North, which is critical for breaking down systemic barriers. There are longstanding socio-economic gaps in education, employment, digital equity, and income levels between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations; and in the flow of capital to Indigenous-owned businesses. As a Northern and Indigenous-led project we are innovating solutions to these problems while ensuring that the benefits of our project reside in the North.”
Through this five-year partnership, Indigenous young people will gain access to culturally relevant business education and capacity development; wrap-around supports and technology; community and ecosystem building; resources for driving policy change and thought leadership; platforms for sharing impact stories; and greater access to capital.
“Indigenous youth see entrepreneurship as a path to a meaningful livelihood and a way to contribute to their communities,” says Jennifer Brennan, Director of Canada Programs at the Mastercard Foundation. “EntrepreNorth’s unique approach grounded in Indigenous worldviews and values delivers what Indigenous youth are seeking. We are excited to partner with EntrepreNorth, enabling the right support at the right time to unlock growth and possibility.”
“Ultimately,” says Scott, “our vision is a movement of Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs who are innovating solutions to strengthen economic resilience and community wellbeing for generations to come. The Mastercard Foundation is getting behind this vision in a meaningful way and demonstrating how philanthropy is done right. We hold immense gratitude for their support and we’re looking forward to catalyzing transformative change that has a powerful ripple effect across the North.”
About EntrepreNorth
EntrepreNorth empowers Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across the North. The project offers culturally-grounded business programming to early-stage entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon who are ready to elevate their business and community impact. EntrepreNorth is a project on MakeWay’s shared platform.
For more information on EntrepreNorth, please visit entreprenorth.ca.
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.
For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org.
________________________________
For more information, please contact:
Tanya Roach
Marketing Specialist
EntrepreNorth
[email protected]
Candice O’Grady
Partner, Public Affairs and Communications, Canada Programs
Mastercard Foundation
[email protected]
Originally published on 18 September.
Press release from ouluHealth Two OuluHealth ecosystem’s members, Innokas and Screentec, are joining forces to showcase Nordic Healthtech expertise at MedFit in Strasbourg in mid-October. MedFit is a yearly organized European partnering event for innovation partnerships and investment rounds in the MedTech, Diagnostic and Digital Health sectors. The event has established connections with many European ecosystems and clusters in the…
Press release from ouluHealth
Two OuluHealth ecosystem’s members, Innokas and Screentec, are joining forces to showcase Nordic Healthtech expertise at MedFit in Strasbourg in mid-October.
MedFit is a yearly organized European partnering event for innovation partnerships and investment rounds in the MedTech, Diagnostic and Digital Health sectors. The event has established connections with many European ecosystems and clusters in the field and gathers participants not only from France but throughout Europe.
“We see this as a great opportunity to take the Nordic reliability and expertise in MedTech and put it in the spotlight on a European platform together with our colleagues at Screentec. Working together means we have broader shoulders to talk about Finnish technology expertise and promote both companies as prominent partners in developing and manufacturing innovative medical technology products in Europe”, sauid Päivi Leppänen, Business Development Director, from Innokas Medical.
Mikko Paakkolanvaara, CTO of Screentec Oy, explained: “The European market holds huge significance for us in the medical technology sector, and this importance is further underscored by the fact that over 80% of our customers in the medical sector are based in Europe.”
Europe’s healthcare landscape is characterized by its advanced healthcare systems, rigorous quality standards, and strong focus on patient well-being, making it an ideal market for cutting-edge medical technologies. “Our commitment to serving European market reflects our dedication to advancing healthcare technology and improving patient care across Europe and beyond. Success in the European market can also serve as a launchpad for global expansion. Many companies view Europe as a strategic entry point into other international markets due to its well-established healthcare infrastructure and regulatory standards”, added Paakkolanvaara.
Both companies have wide hands-on expertise in helping Medtech companies from startups to large companies bring their solutions to market. “We have a deep understanding of what it takes to design, and manufacture medical devices and to develop medical software, considering the regulatory side. “We are looking forward to sharing our know-how together with another experienced manufacturer to European customers and want to cooperate to make sure we are better found”, concluded Leppänen.
Innokas and Screentec are showcasing at the MedFit on October 10th-11th at stand C1-D2.
Contact persons
Eeva Lindroth, Head of Brand and Communications, Innokas / [email protected]
Mikko Paakkolanvaara, CTO, Screentec / [email protected]
Source: Innokas Medical
Originally published on 19 September.
Press release from Luke As fish consumption is growing in Europe, new methods for sustainable fish farming are needed. Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) together with European fish farmers, breeders and feed producers as well as researchers raised selective breeding and fish farming to a new level by linking the effects of fish genome and…
Press release from Luke
As fish consumption is growing in Europe, new methods for sustainable fish farming are needed. Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) together with European fish farmers, breeders and feed producers as well as researchers raised selective breeding and fish farming to a new level by linking the effects of fish genome and nutrition. Some of the methods developed in the five-year project have already been taken into use by European companies.
Fish consumption in Europe is growing alongside vegetarianism, and at the same time there is a growing need for fish farmers to meet demand more safely, efficiently and with less environmental impact. Selective breeding of fishes has helped and continues to help to develop fish farming. Breeders select individuals for breeding that have been found to make effective use of feed for growth and remain healthy.
In addition to selective breeding, sustainable fish farming is promoted by feed developed specifically for certain fish species and certain conditions. However, so far fish feed developers have had only limited information about the changes in fish traits brought about by breeding, even though the trait changes affect nutrition. Feed developers are also challenged by the fact that as fish consumption increases, more fish feed is needed, and therefore new sustainable raw materials must be found.
“Selective breeding and fish feeds have been developed extensively in Europe, but typically in separate projects. Inside Luke, we had the experience of combining these fields of research, and now we did it on a large scale. For the international EU-funded AquaIMPACT project, we gathered challenges of fish farming and experts from 10 companies and 12 research institutes to solve them,” says Antti Kause, principal scientist at Luke, who leads the project.
The five-year project is nearing its end, and Kause says the goals have been met.
“We developed a method based on a mathematical model, which allows feed manufacturers to predict how feed composition will affect, for example, the growth or health of a fish, when its genetic characteristics are known. This is a significant breakthrough in the industry.”
A groundbreaking feature in the AquaIMPACT project was that breeding experts based their selection on the genome of the fish and not, as has been customary, on the family tree. According to Kause, genomic selection is already common in the selective breeding of cattle, pigs, chickens and plants, and thus familiar work at Luke as well.
“We have 25 animal and plant breeders in Luke, who analyze the genomic data from breeding programmes. We also have 40 years of experience in selective breeding of fish and responsibility for the national breeding programme for rainbow trout. This made it natural for us to take responsibility for genetics research and the development of breeding methods in the project.”
The experimental work was divided among different countries according to, among other things, fish species, which were rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon from cool waters as well as gilthead sea bream and European sea bass from the Mediterranean. For example, researchers at Luke and a Finnish company developed selection methods to improve disease resistance of rainbow trout in their own aquaculture facilities.
“We also showed that selective breeding has yielded results even when the selection has been based on the family tree. We have managed to improve the feed efficiency of rainbow trout by about 18 percent over the past 25 years. This means that breeding has made fish farming more efficient and reduced the nutrient emissions from fish farms into the sea.”
Although the AquaIMPACT project focused on European fish species, according to Kause, the computing and genomic methods developed can be used anywhere. Some of the methods have already been implemented by European companies that participated in the project.
“The absolute strength of the project was that the same people who have participated in the development work get to use the results right away.”
