What Sølvtrans does

Sølvtrans is a Norwegian privately-held wellboat operator serving the global salmon aquaculture industry. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Ålesund, Norway, the company operates a fleet of 35+ purpose-built vessels ranging from 337 m3 to 7,450 m3 in cargo capacity — including the world's largest wellboat, Ronja Storm. Operations span five countries: Norway, Scotland, Canada, and Tasmania, with vessel crews and office staff totaling 673 employees. The fleet delivers live fish transport from smolt (juvenile salmon) to processing facilities, dedicated smolt transport services, and on-site harvest operations through specialized vessels such as Ronja Harvester and Ronja Merdø.

The company's core technical differentiator is its proprietary closed-system fish transportation technology developed in 2001 in partnership with Aas Mechanical Shipyard. All vessels operate in closed circulation mode with no water discharge during transport, minimizing contagious disease spread — a critical biosecurity requirement that emerged after the 1998 ISA outbreak in Scotland was traced to conventional wellboats. Each vessel is equipped with automatic tracking systems monitoring carbon dioxide, oxygen, ammonia, temperature, and pH. Newbuild vessels (Ronja Storm and successors) feature 1,000V DC supply systems, lithium-ion battery storage for peak-load reduction, and dual-fuel LNG/ammonia-capable main engines funded in part by the Norwegian NOx Fund.

Sølvtrans generates revenue primarily through multi-year time charter (TC) agreements with enterprise aquaculture customers, supplemented by 24/7 managed logistics services coordinated from its Ålesund headquarters. Named and disclosed customers include Huon Aquaculture (Tasmania) under a long-term Ronja Huon charter, and Dess Aquaculture Shipping — the latter now absorbed via the 2021 acquisition. The company was listed on Oslo Axess in March 2010, returned to private ownership in 2014 when Oak Tree acquired a majority stake, and is currently majority-owned by Oak Tree alongside founder Roger Halsebakk and Anders Hvide. Quality and compliance frameworks include Global GAP certification (valid until 2026), ISO 9001, ISM Code (SOLAS), and IK Aqua, which collectively serve as gating qualifications for serving tier-1 salmon farming customers in regulated European and North American markets.

Name

Sølvtrans

Legal name

Sølvtrans Management AS

Website

https://solvtrans.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sølvtrans is a Norwegian wellboat operator providing specialized live fish transportation, smolt transport, and harvest vessel services to the global salmon aquaculture industry across five countries. The company operates a 35+ vessel fleet using proprietary closed-system biosecure technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture Wellboat Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture & Fish-Farm Service Vessels (Feed, Wellboats, Harvest Support) (IMAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting) (AFAEAAAM)

Keywords

• Live fish transportation
• Wellboat services
• Aquaculture logistics
• Smolt transport vessels
• Harvest vessel operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Ålesund

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wellboat Charter Services: Sølvtrans provides wellboat services to aquaculture companies through time charter (TC) arrangements. Services include live fish transport from smolt to processing, smolt transportation, harvest vessel operations, and logistics support. The company maintains dedicated vessels for different purposes including smolt transport and harvest operations.
2. Logistics Services: Logistics department provides 24/7 emergency support and coordination services for aquaculture transportation operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sølvtrans provides wellboat charter services for the aquaculture industry, transporting live fish (smolt and salmon) between hatcheries, sea farms, and processing facilities using a fleet of purpose-built vessels with closed-system technology. Services include smolt transportation, live fish transport from sea cages to processing, on-site harvest vessel operations, and 24/7 logistics coordination from the Ålesund headquarters across Norway, Scotland, Canada, and Tasmania.

Product overview

Sølvtrans operates as a maritime aquaculture service provider offering a fleet of specialized wellboats, harvest vessels, and smolt transport vessels. The core offering consists of live fish transportation services using purpose-built vessels ranging from 337 m3 to 7,450 m3 cargo capacity, supported by logistics management from their Ålesund headquarters. The fleet includes distinct vessel categories: standard wellboats for live fish transport, dedicated smolt vessels for juvenile fish, and harvest vessels for on-site processing. The company provides 24/7 logistics support, emergency response services, and operates across five countries serving the global aquaculture industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Fish Transport (Wellboats) Specialized vessels equipped with closed-system, closed-circulation live fish transportation for moving salmon from marine cages to waiting cages or directly to processing facilities. All vessels run in closed circulation mode (no water discharge), with automatic tracking systems monitoring CO2, oxygen, ammonia, temperature, and pH for fish welfare. Available via multi-year Time Charter to enterprise aquaculture customers.
• Smolt Transport Services Dedicated smolt vessels designed for safe, gentle, and efficient transport of juvenile salmon from hatcheries to sea farms. Uses dedicated vessels (rather than mixed-use wellboats) to reduce biosecurity risks for juvenile fish. Offered to smolt producers and salmon farming companies.
• Harvest Vessels On-site harvesting vessels (including Ronja Harvester and Ronja Merdø) covering existing and future needs for harvesting with delivery directly to onshore facilities. Provided to salmon farming companies for in-situ harvest operations.
• Logistics Coordination Services 24/7 logistics department based at the Ålesund main office providing coordination and emergency support for aquaculture transportation operations. Handles chartering contacts and year-round emergency response for live fish transport customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Closed circulation mode ensures no water discharge during fish transport, eliminating disease spread risk
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Myklebust ShipyardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Myklebust Shipyard in Gursken contracted for delivery of two 4000 m3 vessels in 2021 and 2022. Ronja Vest delivered September 2021, Ronja Nærøysund delivered early 2022.
• Havyard ShipyardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Havyard's shipyard in Lervik equipped one of the vessels contracted for 2019 delivery, including the world's largest wellboat (7500 m3 cargo volume).
• Huon AquaculturecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2014Huon Aquaculture in Tasmania signed a long-term TC agreement for the vessel Ronja Huon, establishing Sølvtrans presence in Tasmania.
• Rolls RoycecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2012Sølvtrans contracted Rolls Royce for completely new and revolutionary vessel design and technology for two 3000 m3 vessels (Ronja Polaris delivered 2013, Ronja Huon delivered 2014).
• Aas Mechanical ShipyardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Long-standing partnership with Aas Mechanical Shipyard for vessel construction. Together developed closed system fish transportation technology in 2001. Built multiple vessels including Ronja Fisk (first purpose-built wellboat, 1996), Ronja Pioneer, Ronja Viking (2006), and many subsequent vessels.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SalMar ASA: Top-tier Norwegian salmon farmer with growing in-house wellboat capacity. Comparable to Sølvtrans in that both operate purpose-built wellboats, but SalMar's fleet primarily serves its own integrated production rather than third-party charter.
• Lerøy Seafood Group ASA: Major Norwegian salmon and trout producer with both owned wellboat capacity and charter relationships. Comparable to Sølvtrans as a vertically integrated customer/operator of live-fish transport services.
• Mowi ASA: World's largest Atlantic salmon farmer and a major Sølvtrans customer. Operates an internal wellboat fleet and charters from Sølvtrans; the relevant comparison is as a vertically integrated competitor that may insource more transport over time.
• Cooke Aquaculture Inc. Canadian-headquartered vertically integrated salmon producer with operations in Atlantic Canada, Maine, Chile, Scotland, and Tasmania — overlapping Sølvtrans's geographic footprint. Operates dedicated vessels and charters from third-party providers including Sølvtrans.
• Cermaq ASA: Global salmon farmer (Norway, Chile, Canada) that operates and charters wellboats for live fish movement. Comparable to Sølvtrans as a customer/operator of aquaculture transport services, though primarily self-serving its own farms.

Regional players

• Bakkafrost P/F: Faroese vertically integrated salmon producer operating its own wellboat fleet. Comparable on vessel technology and live-fish handling needs, but geographically focused on the Faroe Islands rather than competing globally with Sølvtrans.

Broad incumbents

• AKVA Group ASA: Publicly listed Norwegian company providing a broad range of aquaculture technology, equipment, and services — including wellboats via subsidiary Akva Wellboat (formerly Steinsvik). Overlaps with Sølvtrans in vessel supply and aquaculture services from a wider portfolio angle.

Others

• Huon Aquaculture: Australian (Tasmania-based) salmon farmer with a long-term TC agreement with Sølvtrans for Ronja Huon. Comparable as a counterparty in wellboat chartering rather than direct competitor.
• Aas Mek. Verksted AS: Norwegian shipyard and long-standing partner of Sølvtrans that co-developed closed system fish transportation technology in 2001. Comparable as a strategic shipbuilding partner whose capability directly enables Sølvtrans's purpose-built fleet expansion.

Direct peers

• Rostein AS: One of the largest Norwegian wellboat operators and the most directly comparable competitor to Sølvtrans. Operates a fleet of wellboats serving the Norwegian salmon aquaculture market, overlaps directly on TC services, vessel categories, and customer set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sølvtrans