In 2020, Gael Force Group was chosen as Principle Project Partner for the turnkey supply and installation of equipment and infrastructure for The Scottish Salmon Company’s new salmon farm at East Tarbert Bay, Gigha. The site has a 2500T production capacity and six site staff. Following project completion, The Scottish Salmon Company’s Area Manager for Mull and Gigha, Zane Pretorius, spoke to Gael Force about the success of the turnkey supply.

Using different suppliers for supply and installation of fish farm infrastructure makes overall project management more complex and sometimes the equipment supplied does not work together in the farming environment as envisaged due to compatibility issues. Scottish Salmon Company Area Manager Zane Pretorius explained, “Our core business purpose, and the expertise we have in-house, is focused on fish health and welfare and therefore it is more efficient for us to have moorings, electrical, mechanical, and construction experts, such as Gael Force, build the physical farm to the specification we require. Compliance, performance, and compatibility issues can be dealt with at the design stage – meaning we can concentrate on rearing our fish.”

To overcome this challenge, Gael Force led the project management of the equipment and technology supply and installation. A combination of a broad aquaculture equipment and technology range, understanding of site environment, and competency in project management meant Gael Force was the ideal choice of supply partner for the project. The use of local Scottish suppliers is important to The Scottish Salmon Company, and Gael Force fitted naturally into that category.

At the outset, Gael Force held regular conversations with Zane and the team to understand all the requirements that they had. Specific attention was given to the design of the infrastructure to ensure smooth compatibility across all components and robust containment of fish.

Choosing Gael Force to manage the turnkey installation had its benefits, as Zane explained. “The equipment is designed from the onset to be compatible, meaning that the final farm structure works as anticipated. Professional tradesmen building the site means that the build quality is of a high standard and any compliance, performance, and compatibility issues are dealt with properly. Overall project progress and budget are easier to manage as one supplier is in control of all aspects of the build.”

COVID-19 had the potential to setback the installation, however, this did not prevent safe progress from being made. “The Covid-19 pandemic took hold in the middle of the build, but we worked closely with Gael Force to put extensive measures in place that meant the project could continue safely. This is a testament to the planning and efficient procurement of equipment and components that Gael Force had undertaken in the planning stage.”

The project, delivered on time and within budget, created final build quality that delivered to The Scottish Salmon Company’s high expectations, with all equipment designed and built by expert engineers and project managed by experienced leaders in the field, meaning an improvement in delivery timescale compared to the traditional approach with multiple suppliers.

The one-supplier approach also meant no subsequent or ongoing compatibility issues meaning that the farm’s team can concentrate on rearing their fish.

Zane and the team were very positive in their feedback about the leadership and delivery of the project. “Gael Force have comprehensively trained our team in the operation of all the equipment on-site, meaning that the farm is operated efficiently and in line with build specifications. Site induction and after sales technical support have been good, meaning handover and site operation went as planned. This, in turn, means less downtime and allows us to focus on maximising biological performance.”

He added, “Gael Force were good at delivering what we asked for, and we found that they had an excellent understanding of the physical, environmental and biological aspects of modern, sustainable salmon farming.”

The equipment supplied and installed at East Tarbert Bay included: SeaQureMoor system, SeaMate 350T feeding barge, SeaFeed technology, Triton 450 plastic pens, SeaLight underwater LEDs, power distribution from barge to pens, consumable goods for operations.

Towing and installation of equipment was supported by North West Marine.

Post written by:

Marc Wilson
For more information, visit: https://www.gaelforcegroup.com