From Fish to Biochar – How Pond Reinvents Aquaculture
Pond is a Swedish company pioneering sustainable land-based aquaculture. With roots in urban fish farming, it combines innovative technology and circular principles to produce fish and greens in systems that minimize waste and environmental impact.
Founded in 2014 by environmentalist Niklas Wennberg, Pond promotes local, resilient food production through aquaponics, biochar innovation, and partnerships with municipalities.
What is Pond?
Pond develops knowledge and infrastructure for land-based aquaculture, focusing on species such as tilapia, clarias, and carp. Fish that thrive on plant-based or waste-stream feeds.
The company launched Sweden’s first urban fish farm in 2014 and has since partnered with municipalities to provide sustainable protein for schools and elder care facilities.
Pond’s systems are designed to be antibiotic-free, resource-efficient and close to consumers, reducing environmental impact.
Beyond food production, Pond integrates aquaponics and biochar applications, positioning itself as a catalyst for circular economy solutions in aquaculture.
What’s happening on the ground?
Currently, Pond is working on the development of a research center on Tjörn with a production permit for 40 tonnes of fish per year and new initiatives are underway:
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Biochar innovation: Exploring how biochar can retain nutrients normally lost in aquaculture (e.g., nitrogen), with trials conducted by SLU.
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Charged biochar focus: Developing “nutri-batteries” where biochar serves as a nutrient carrier for agriculture.
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Modular container farms: Plans to scale up production using African clarias, partly fed with residual streams from fisheries.
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Cross-industry dialogue: Exploring symbiosis with the local petrochemical industry to integrate residual streams into production.
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Policy engagement: Highlighting the need for supportive frameworks to accelerate circular aquaculture and biochar markets.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, Pond aims to:
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Establish its Tjörn research center as a hub for circular aquaculture and symbiosis.
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Develop modular, container-based systems that can be replicated and scaled.
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Commercialize the concept of nutri-batteries, combining fish production with nutrient-charged biochar for agriculture.
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Explore carbon credits as a new revenue stream, strengthening the business case by selling two high-value products: fish and biochar.
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Launch a pilot or small-scale facility by 2026–2027 to attract investment and demonstrate scalability.
What's next?
Looking ahead, Pond aims to:
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Establish its Tjörn research center as a hub for circular aquaculture and symbiosis.
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Develop modular, container-based systems that can be replicated and scaled.
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Commercialize the concept of nutri-batteries, combining fish production with nutrient-charged biochar for agriculture.
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Explore carbon credits as a new revenue stream, strengthening the business case by selling two high-value products: fish and biochar.
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Launch a pilot or small-scale facility by 2026–2027 to attract investment and demonstrate scalability.
Key Insights
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Two high-value outputs: Circular aquaculture can generate both fish and biochar, improving profitability compared to traditional systems.
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Local self-sufficiency: A 40-ton aquaculture facility can supply an entire municipality with fish, as shown in a case study from Lysekil.
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Policy matters: Scaling biochar use in agriculture requires supportive regulation and market development.
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Diversification builds resilience: Combining food production, biochar, and potential carbon credits strengthens long-term sustainability.
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Cross-sector opportunities: Integrating aquaculture with industries such as plastics or petrochemicals opens new resource loops and efficiencies.
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Scalable models: Modular systems allow flexible deployment, making aquaculture more adaptable to local contexts.