World's largest seafood terminal anticipates massive export value

This article was first published in DNB Næringsmegling's magazine "På Innsiden."

“This is the first establishment in the OAC logistics park at Gardermoen, where we can develop over 500,000 m2 of logistics buildings," says Tallberg.

Between 20-30% of all exported salmon will be distributed through the World Seafood Center. The total value of NOK 16 billion is equivalent to the revenue generated on the Statfjord B oil platform in a single year.

“We initiated construction of the World Seafood Center a year ago," Tallberg explains.

“The building will be a complex, two-storey structure that offers better space utilisation than a typical logistics building, with over 70% land utilisation. The 350-metre-long structure will have a total area of 55,000 m2, with the first phase set to be completed this June."

Upon completion, the World Seafood Center will stand as the world's largest cold storage terminal for seafood and serve as a hub for Norwegian seafood exports.

“The cold storage terminal will have a sustainable profile and optimise the logistics of fresh Norwegian seafood to the market. It will offer virtually unlimited capacity for exporting fresh fish by air or road to Europe, USA and Asia," Tallberg says.

The new cold storage terminal at Gardermoen will significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation from fish reception facilities to markets. This will be achieved through more efficient transportation and energy utilisation.

Profitable flight routes with salmon

The transportation of fish plays a vital role in supporting profitable flight routes, contributing significantly to airline revenue. Rough estimates suggest that fish transportation accounts for approximately 20% of airlines' income. The ripple effect of this is that the transportation of salmon from Norway to Asia and North America sustains airlines and allows them to offer lower ticket prices, ultimately boosting passenger transportation. This secures jobs in Norway, benefiting Avinor, airlines, hotels and others.

In theory, the World Seafood Center could have direct access to loading and unloading goods onto planes if Oslo Airport Gardermoen decides to construct a third runway. If this development were to occur, the World Seafood Center would become the closest neighbour to the runway. Meanwhile, there are opportunities for establishing a taxiway between Runway 2 and the World Seafood Center, facilitating seamless connectivity between the logistics area and the existing infrastructure at OSL. This would enable cargo planes to conveniently park right outside the building.

Major tenants

The World Seafood Center is set to accommodate several prominent players in the seafood industry. Mowi (formerly Marine Harvest), Gardermoen Perishable Center (GPC) and Oslo Seafood Center are tenants in the new centre. Notably, Mowi, which is the world's largest salmon producer, will double its capacity at Gardermoen upon relocating to the new premises at the World Seafood Center. GPC, which specialises in packaging, security clearance and the preparation of salmon for air transportation, will also significantly increase capacity when it moves in during 2023.

The airport city: Oslo Airport City

The vision for Oslo Airport City and the World Seafood Center stems from the government's strategic plans for transit-oriented development, densification, and transformation around public transportation junctions to create vibrant urban areas.

Traditionally, airports were built near major cities. Now, however, a new trend has emerged where urban and commercial areas are being developed around airports. Airports are evolving into multifunctional commercial hubs, which go beyond air transportation infrastructure to offer a wide range of facilities including industrial zones, processing, congress and conference centres, car facilities, retail services and recreational spaces.

Oslo Airport City is strategically located between Oslo Airport Gardermoen and Jessheim. The scale of this development is immense: a total of over 1 million m2 of commercial space is planned to be built on 1,150 acres of land. The aim is to establish Norway's largest and most significant business district, generating thousands of new jobs.

“In the logistics park, we have the capacity to construct 300-400,000 m2 of logistics buildings to serve diverse industries. The logistics park connects companies that export or import goods to their national and international customers, suppliers, and collaborators," Tallberg explains.

While the most prominent airport cities today are currently in China, the US, India, and Taiwan, they are also gaining traction in Europe, particularly around transit- oriented developments like Frankfurt, Schiphol (Amsterdam), and our close neighbours, Kastrup (Copenhagen) and Arlanda (Stockholm).

Emission-free district

Oslo Airport City is collaborating with Statkraft to develop forward-thinking, energy- efficient solutions aimed at halving energy consumption compared to equivalent buildings.

“We will use modern technology to construct environmentally friendly buildings, focusing on minimising carbon emissions," says Tallberg.

The ambition is to create an emission-free district with an energy surplus in Norway's most crucial transit-oriented development. Local energy sources, such as ground source heat and solar energy, will provide the area with electricity, cooling, and heating.

“Through careful planning and the application of circular economy principles, we aim to further reduce resource consumption and transportation needs. Reduced transportation demands not only result in decreased resource consumption but also lead to the creation of more job opportunities and enhanced business competitiveness," he continues.

Electromobility

“We believe that the entire automobile industry can recognise the advantages of having a modern, national sales location near to OSL, tailored towards today’s car- buying trends, with relatively small sales areas and spacious service facilities. The proximity to OSL enables easy access for car customers from across the country," Tallberg explains.

Porsche took the lead by establishing a new electric vehicle centre, which opened in June 2022. Birger N. Haug has also set up operations here.

“We are currently in the process of designing two new buildings for other automotive players. Electromobility signifies the shift from fossil fuels to electric power in aviation, trucks, buses, construction machinery and passenger cars. We would like to create a dedicated area within Oslo Airport City that brings together the electric vehicle industry in state-of-the-art, energy-efficient buildings,“ he concludes.