AquaGen Scotland Launches State-of-the-Art Freshwater Recirculating Aquaculture System for Atlantic Salmon Egg Incubation
AquaGen Scotland, Holywood Breeding Centre, 25 September 2025.
AquaGen Scotland is delighted to announce the opening of its new freshwater recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for the incubation of high-quality Atlantic salmon eggs. With Finlay Carson MSP & members of Salmon Scotland in attendance, we celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open the facility.
This is a significant step forward in sustainability and performance control, leveraging advanced technology to minimize environmental impact while maximizing egg health and viability, based on experience gathered from trial work on RAS incubation in past seasons.
The RAS system allows for precise control over critical water parameters, ensuring optimal conditions for egg development and reducing the risk of disease and stress. It also has substantial sustainability benefits, including:
- Reduced water usage through efficient recirculation and treatment
- Lower energy input for water temperature control, minimising the facility's carbon footprint
- Decreased water abstraction volume requirements, further reducing the environmental impact
- Enhanced protection against environmental contamination through UV filtration, ensuring the removal of biological contaminants.
"The new RAS system is a game-changer for AquaGen Scotland, securing the supply of high-quality best of breed salmon eggs to the Scottish aquaculture industry," said Keith Drynan, Managing Director. "By combining advanced technology with sustainable practices, we're not only improving the health and quality of our Atlantic salmon eggs but also reducing our environmental footprint. This facility showcases our commitment to innovation and sustainability in aquaculture."
The new system, commissioned and invested in by our parent company, underlines AquaGen’s commitment as a global breeding company to provide secure, biosecure and sustainable salmon egg supply to the markets in which we operate. Together with the newly certified Profunda facility in Norway, AquaGen is well-positioned to support both domestic and international salmon farming with robust and export-ready genetics.
