Su Hai 1 First Harvest: World's Largest Aquaculture Vessel Reaches Milestone
The first harvest from "Su Hai 1" — the world's first 100,000-ton closed-containment aquaculture vessel — was completed on June 23 in the waters off Weihai, Shandong Province.
The vessel was delivered in Guangzhou on June 26, 2025, and officially entered service on December 23, 2025, at the Ganyu Port Area in Lianyungang, where the first batch of 400,000 salmon smolts were subsequently loaded. The vessel is registered in the Port of Lianyungang and is classed by China Classification Society (CCS). Measuring 249.8 meters in length, it features 15 closed-containment tanks with a total water volume of 83,000 cubic meters and a designed annual production capacity of 6,000 to 8,000 tons.
What Makes this Vessel Different?
Traditional inshore cage farming faces two core challenges: poor water exchange leading to localized eutrophication, and high summer surface temperatures that make it impossible for cold-water species like salmon to survive. "Su Hai 1" addresses both issues with closed tanks equipped with a recirculating water treatment system. Solid waste is separated, collected, and treated onshore, with zero discharge into the sea. The vessel can also relocate according to water temperature — moving to the Yellow Sea cold-water mass in summer and returning to southern waters in winter — maintaining an optimal year-round growing temperature of 12–16°C.
A Milestone for Offshore Aquaculture
With an annual output of 6,000 to 8,000 tons, "Su Hai 1" matches the capacity of a medium-sized salmon farm, all concentrated on a single vessel. As more aquaculture operations move into deeper and more exposed waters worldwide, the demands on equipment reliability and safety continue to rise. The success of "Su Hai 1" demonstrates that large-scale offshore farming is technically feasible and commercially viable.
Proven at Sea — Mooring Solutions for the Offshore Aquaculture Industry
The successful harvest from "Su Hai 1" confirms what many in the industry hoped: large-scale, mobile offshore aquaculture is commercially viable. With an annual output of 6,000–8,000 tons and the ability to relocate seasonally, this vessel represents a new operational model for salmon farming worldwide.
But a vessel that moves — and holds position in open water — depends entirely on the reliability of its anchoring and mooring system. Whether it's station-keeping in the Yellow Sea cold-water mass or securing position during weather events, the mooring system is fundamental to daily operations.
SMEOCEAN has been supplying mooring solutions to the global aquaculture industry — including fish farms in Norway, Chile, and Italy — for years. Our anchor chains and accessories are designed for the specific conditions of aquaculture operations:
Corrosion resistance for long-term marine exposure
High strength-to-weight ratio for ease of handling
Full traceability with mill test certificates and class society documentation (DNV, ABS, LR, BV, CCS)
Why Aquaculture Operators Choose SMEOCEAN:
Proven durability in both inshore and offshore environments
Custom engineering for vessel-specific mooring configurations
Reliable delivery and technical support
Related Resources:
"Su Hai 1" has proven the model. Let's talk about what it means for your mooring requirements.
More Link:
First Atlantic Salmon Harvested Onboard Chinese Aquaculture Vessel: What the Data Shows
Su Hai 1: World's First Salmon Farming Vessel Unveiled
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