NEWS | 24 pens, zero staff: new barge shows where salmon farming is headed

Eva Andrésen
Jun 19
2 min read

GroAqua tows world’s largest feed barge to site.

Aquaculture technology firm GroAqua has begun towing what it describes as the world’s largest fish feed barge to a Bakkafrost salmon farming site, where it is expected to go into immediate operation.

The unit, first announced in late 2024, has a reported feed capacity of 1,100 tonnes and is equipped with 24 feeding lines—allowing for simultaneous feeding of 24 pens. It is one of three identical barges GroAqua is building for the Faroese salmon farmer, with delivery scheduled across 2025.

The barge will operate autonomously using GroAqua’s FishFeeder and GroVision systems, without requiring crew on board. It was constructed at GroAqua’s facility in Poland and is designed for long-term deployment at exposed sites.

GroAqua, headquartered in the Faroe Islands, also operates in Norway, Scotland, and Poland. The company, which employs around 100 staff, is a supplier of barges, cameras, and feeding systems to several salmon producers in Northern Europe.

The move reflects a broader trend toward scale and automation in feed logistics, as salmon farmers seek to increase efficiency while reducing staffing requirements at sea. While automated feed barges are now standard across much of the industry, GroAqua’s latest project represents a step up in capacity, potentially reducing the frequency of refuelling and barge rotation in remote locations.

The barge’s progress was shared on LinkedIn by GroAqua staff, who indicated it would go “straight to site and start feeding.”

(Photos 📸 Gro Aqua)

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