Norwegian salmon farmer Erko Seafood has signed an agreement with offshore construction and services group Moreld to build and operate offshore fish farms.

As part of the project launch, Norway-based Moreld is forming an aquaculture business unit -- Moreld Aqua -- making use of its existing technology in offshore projects and adapting it to fish farming.

In announcing the deal, Moreld noted that in order to achieve the Norwegian government's highly debated vision of 5 million metric tons of sustainable aquaculture production by 2050, new production methods such as offshore farming are critical.

Illustration of the new offshore facility that is under development. Photo: Moreld

Moreld Aqua is now collaborating with Erko and Global Maritime to develop an offshore concept, identify farming locations, and establish a pilot operation.

Moreld, owned by private equity group Hitecvision, operates a suite of subsidiaries working in floating offshore wind, oil and gas, shipping and subsea sectors. The company has set 40 percent revenue growth targets for its aquaculture, offshore wind and data center segments.

Helge Hydle has been brought on board to lead Moreld's new aquaculture business unit. Hydle has more than 15 years of experience from the offshore and maritime industry.