Carboneras to Host One of the Largest Seriola Hatcheries in the Mediterranean: 40,000 m² and an Investment of 20 Million Euros

The Madrid-based company Ocean Aquaculture Hatchery, part of the Dutch group Indofín, will begin construction this month on a new seriola or lemon fish hatchery on the grounds of the former thermal power plant in Carboneras, Almería. Covering a total of 40,000 square meters, it will become one of the largest hatcheries for this species in the Mediterranean.

The project will have an initial investment of around 15 million euros. The facility will have the capacity to produce up to eight million fry, and the construction is expected to be completed by December 2027, with production set to begin in January 2028.

The hatchery will generate approximately 65 direct jobs and will supply juveniles to both Ocean Aquaculture's future marine farms and other aquaculture producers in the Mediterranean.

The project includes a second phase with an additional investment of five million euros, which would allow for the production of up to seven million juveniles weighing around 40 grams. This size will facilitate their subsequent transfer to fattening facilities at sea.

The initiative is part of a strategy that combines land-based fry production with offshore seriola fattening. The company plans to develop farming projects off the coasts of Adra in Almería and Mazarrón in Murcia, with the first sea plantings expected in 2028.

Ocean Aquaculture is betting on seriola due to its adaptability to warm waters and its commercial potential. The species can complement the Mediterranean production of sea bream, sea bass, and croaker, and meet the demand for larger aquaculture fish.

The hatchery will be located on the land freed up after the closure of the Litoral thermal power plant, as part of Endesa's Futur-e program to promote new industrial activities in Carboneras. This initiative will thus contribute to transforming the former energy site into a new space linked to aquaculture and the blue economy.

Photo: generated