ScaleAQ has entered into an agreement with Japan Salmon Farm for the construction of a completely new feed barge.
“This marks an important milestone for us. For the first time, a barge will be built in Vietnam under Norwegian project management,” says Trond Karlsen, Senior Sales Manager at ScaleAQ.
“We are bringing our extensive Norwegian expertise into the project and are confident that this collaboration will open new opportunities.”
The buyer of the new barge is Japan Salmon Farm, a Japanese trout producer expanding its operations in the northern part of Honshu, the country’s main island.
Currently, Japanese production of salmon and trout accounts for just 0.6 percent of global salmon volumes. Last year, Japan Salmon Farm (JSF) produced 3,500 tonnes and aims to reach 12,000 tonnes by 2030.
“It is very encouraging to see the strong ambitions in the Japanese market. We are extremely pleased to deliver a project of this scale to a company with such clear goals and a highly professional operation.”
The Japanese authorities have expressed ambitions to facilitate increased salmon production, both through land-based and sea-based aquaculture.
New Shipyard in Vietnam
ScaleAQ currently employs 200 people in Vietnam, and several from the Vietnamese team are directly involved in this new project. An agreement has also been signed with a newly selected shipyard in Vietnam. The barge will be transported to Japan during the summer.
“We are delivering the mooring system, cameras, barge, and feeding technology for Japan Salmon Farm,” says Karlsen, who hopes this delivery will pave the way for further collaboration.
“It is impressive to see the professionalism within the Japanese aquaculture sector, as well as the strong commitment from the authorities to support industry growth.”
Japan Salmon Farm is owned by Okamura Foods Co., Ltd., a Japanese seafood group founded in 1971. The company is a major player in aquaculture, processing, and global distribution of seafood products.
«ScaleAQ is a trusted partner with extensive expertise and a strong track record in feeding systems and feed barges. The introduction of this equipment represents an important step toward achieving our production target of 12,000 tonnes,
and we will continue to work to enhance the value of domestically produced edible salmon», Mizuho Muradatae of the Japan Salmon Farm says.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Trond Karlsen, Head of international sales – trond.karlsen@scaleaq.com
Mizuho Muradate – mizuho.muradate@okamura-f.com