China has rolled out its largest ocean-going aquaculture vessel to date, completing the conversion of a panamax bulk carrier into a mobile fish farming unit for domestic operator Senhai MK.
The vessel, Zhedai Yuyang 60001, was handed over by Shanhaiguan Shipbuilding, a unit of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), after an extensive retrofit project in Hebei Province.
Originally built in 1996 as a panamax bulker, the 225-m-long ship has been modified to include seven large aquaculture tanks in place of its former cargo holds. The new configuration allows the ship to carry around 80,000 cu m of seawater, with a targeted annual harvest of 2,800 tonnes of fish, including species such as salmon.
The reconfiguration provides housing for a crew of 30 and is set to operate mainly in the Yellow and East China Seas.
While China has recently commissioned several purpose-built fish farm ships, this is the country’s first mobile aquaculture unit created through the conversion of an existing cargo vessel. Officials said the approach reduces construction costs by up to 70% per cu m of farming space compared to building new.
The project was led by Senhai MK, also known as Senhai Mako (Zhejiang) Marine Science and Technology Co, in partnership with several design and engineering units under CSSC, including the 714th Research Institute and the China Ship Development and Design Center.
With the delivery of Zhedai Yuyang 60001, Senhai MK has also confirmed plans to convert three additional capesize bulkers into similar mobile aquaculture units. These vessels are expected to further expand the company’s fish farming capacity as demand for offshore food production grows.
