Andrew Dustan, Chief Technology Officer at Biomega, commented: “We are pleased to confirm that the preparatory groundwork for the Hirtshals biorefinery is now complete, the necessary environmental and building permits are in place and construction is now well underway. This is a major milestone in the project and has been possible due to constructive dialogue between Biomega, the Danish Ministry of Environment and Hjørring Municipality, alongside the planning work carried out by building contractor, NCC. With this, we are still on track for completion of the project before mid-2022.”
Biomega has partnered with construction company NCC, which has experience and expertise in the development and management of infrastructure and raw material extraction projects. The biorefinery is being purpose-built on land that was reclaimed from the sea during development of the harbor.
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Local project manager for Biomega, Jørgen Marvig, described the geotechnical conditions on the site: “When the port was expanded, large quantities of granite rock were placed as reefs out to sea forming the outline of the harbour. Sand and water from the seabed were then pumped into the rock basin. As water drained out, a stable sand bed was built up within the rock structure. The sand base makes site preparation a lot simpler, with no interference from rock or soil layers. Some geotechnical evaluation, site levelling and compaction was required. Fortunately, the load bearing capacity is good and works well without the need for any additional reinforcements.”The biorefinery is expected to expand Biomega’s production capacity for its food-grade salmon proteins and oils for the food, pet food, health, and nutrition sectors.
