Norwegian company Seafood Dragon, partly-owned by Ove Nodland, plans to begin building its €72 million ($85 million) land-based facility in Ningbo, outside Shanghai, in the spring of 2018.
Initially, investors Johannes Neteland and Ove Nodland were planning a plant with a capacity of 3,000 metric tons a year, costing at least €70 million ($82.7 million) and were looking for a partner for the project.
"We have chosen a strategy where we move on without an industrial partner, or build our own organization," Nodland told IntraFish.
The company is now seeking two assistant farm managers for the company, specifically people with extensive experience from salmon farming in northern Europe, primarily within RAS technology, according to an advertisement with recruitment company Seafood People.
"We look for a staffing requirement of around 25 people, in addition to the slaughterhouse," said Nodland.
"Of those around 25, around five will be international experts, not necessarily Norwegian, but skilled professionals who will be building up and running the organization."
While the company's original plan was to build a capacity of 3,000 metric tons in the first phase, and an additional 3,000 metric tons in the second phase, now it is believes it can produce 6,000 metric tons in the first phase without increasing the investment.
"It's about making things smarter and more cost-effective," said Nodland.
Of the overall investment, €30 million ($35.4 million) will be equity, €20 million ($23.6 million) will be from loans, while the remainder will be long-term loans through local authorities that provide land, building materials and infrastructure.
