BioMar’s plant at Wesley Vale in northern Tasmania. Photo: BioMar

PRODUCTION has started at BioMar Australia’s aquafeed facilty at Wesley Vale in northern Tasmania.

Following a two-year build after the Danish firm unveiled plans to transform the old Wesley Vale particle board mill in 2017, the first trucks of fish-feed have started to roll out of the facility to support the Australian and Oceania aquaculture industry.

The facility will produce up to 110,000 tonnes per annum of aqua feed, creating some 55 full-time jobs and an additional 30 jobs across the region through indirect support, operational, port services and logistical roles.

BioMar Australia managing director David Whyte thanked all parties involved for helping BioMar deliver the project on schedule and budget.

BioMar Australia managing director David White. Photo: BioMar

“This project has only been possible with the support of the local community, the hard work of the local contractors who have developed the site and the co-operation and support of the Latrobe Council and Tasmanian Government,” Mr Whyte said.

While COVID-19 has doused plans for an official opening, the plant is operating under social- distancing measures to ensure the wellbeing of BioMar employees.

“Now we are up and running in Tasmania, with 38 full-time employees now on board, BioMar is excited to add our technical and production capacity to the region’s aquaculture industry.

“With trials of our products under way in a variety of species on the mainland and New Zealand, we are bringing BioMar’s global best practices and nutritional know-how into our region helping to support sustainable innovation in aquaculture.

“This research and development work provides our state-of-the-art new facility with proven products that give us the opportunity to be much more than a fish-feed mill.”

Mr Whyte said growth in aquaculture globally is expected to double by 2050.

Aquafeed mills include H2-type wheat and faba beans, and the mill is expected to consume some Tasmanian-grown inputs as well as product grown on the Australian mainland.

Source: BioMar

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