BAUTA Metal officially opened its state-of-the-art steel cutting and storage facilities in the heart of the country’s maritime cluster. The celebration also included a symbolic moment – the cutting of the first steel for the closed fish cage VARIG, developed by BAUTA Fishfarms.
The facility is located in Vestnes, Møre og Romsdal, on Norway’s west coast. Positioned between the cities of Molde and Ålesund, it lies at the heart of the Norwegian maritime cluster and shipbuilding industry. With a deepwater quay and direct access to the region’s main highways, the location offers significant logistics advantages for customers. BAUTA Metal acquired the site in 2024 and has since upgraded it to a state-of-the-art standard.
The 3,200-square-meter production hall is equipped with large crane capacities and advanced machinery for shot blasting and priming. It features a plasma cutter with two cutting robots and a 3.6 x 34-meter cutting table capable of handling plates up to 300 mm thick, as well as Norway’s only 5-axis fiber laser, designed for plates up to 2,000 x 6,000 mm. The facility also includes industrial saws for cutting pipes and profiles.
In combination with a 2,000-square-meter storage hall for aluminum and stainless steel, and 20,000 square meters of outdoor storage, the facility offers substantial capacity.
“This celebration not only marks a new chapter for BAUTA Metal, but also represents an important step forward for the Norwegian industry — enhancing capacity, flexibility, and capability for the future,” says John Arve Sundet, founder and chair of the board of BAUTA Group.
The opening ceremony attracted around hundreds of guests and featured speeches by Geir Inge Lien, Member of the Norwegian Parliament, and Sidsel Sæterøy, Chair of the Board of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise in Møre og Romsdal.
During the event, the steel cutting ceremony for the first closed fish cage of the VARIG design by BAUTA Fishfarms took place. The cage is constructed in steel, offering significant industrial opportunities both in Norway and internationally. This innovation not only helps reduce the environmental footprint of today’s aquaculture industry, but also supports sustainable growth for the future. By drawing water from deeper, cooler layers, adding oxygen, and collecting fish waste, the VARIG cage can help double the capacity of Norwegian aquaculture while opening new markets worldwide.
“This is a big day for us and for the aquaculture industry. The world’s demand for protein is growing, but it must be produced with as little environmental impact as possible. With VARIG, we can help meet that demand through a low-impact, long-lasting solution,” says Gjermund Kvernmo Langset, General Manager of BAUTA Fishfarms.
BAUTA Group is a family-owned industrial consortium based in Tomrefjord, Vestnes, Norway. The group consists of 19 companies and employs more than 600 people. Its core activities are in steel construction for the maritime and offshore industries, while other companies within the group specialize in electrical installations, construction, property development, aquaculture, welding wire distribution, and training services.
