The project
First Water is a pioneering Icelandic land-based salmon farming project located in Þorlákshöfn, designed to set new standards in sustainable aquaculture. With a goal of producing 50,000 tons of salmon (HOG) annually at full production, this ambitious project is structured into six phases. We are currently in Phase 1 of development, steadily working towards our full-scale vision.
The facility spans an advanced infrastructure that includes 158 tanks in varying sizes—20, 25, and 28 meters in diameter—built to optimize fish welfare and water circulation. Each phase is designed to ensure the highest efficiency and minimal environmental footprint, leveraging Iceland's natural resources in a sustainable manner.
We are in Iceland
First Water is developing a state-of-the-art land-based Atlantic salmon farming facility in Þorlákshöfn, Iceland, located 45 km from Reykjavík and 94 km from Keflavík International Airport. The project will be executed in six phases, with the first phase currently under construction. Each phase is designed to produce 8,300 tons of head-on gutted (HOG) salmon annually.
Annual production 50,000 tons HOG
With the initial harvest of our company in May 2023 and projections of around 1,500 tons harvested in 2024, First Water’s plans are for a gradual growth of its farming capability to reach an annual production of 50 thousand tons in 2029. At that time our farming site in Þórlákshöfn will consist of 6 separate grow-out phases, a hatchery and a harvesting and processing plant.
Enclosed land-based farming
Our facility is designed in a modular fashion and each unit is an enclosed system. That enables us to maximise the utility of the locally sourced water from our subterranean reservoirs, making production both economical and more sustainable. Enclosed systems with advanced filtering are also healthier for both the fish and the surrounding ecosystems, virtually eliminating the need for pesticides and antibiotics.
Hybrid flow-through system (HFS)
A hybrid system of fresh seawater and recirculated filtered water optimizes a balance of each traditional land-based farming systems, minimizing both the technological risk of the RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System) and the external risk of the FTS (Flow-Through System).
Boreholes
Our pristine filtered seawater is truly unique. We source it from underground wells of seawater that has been naturally filtered through layers of lava. This pure water is also heated by the geothermal energy of the surrounding crust itself, keeping it at an optimal and steady temperature level of 7-9°C.