A Scottish salmon producer aims to boost business with three new 400t concrete feed barges and an offshore feeding system.
Fife, Scotland-headquartered Marine Harvest Scotland will be supplied with the made to order SeaMate barges and SeaFeed system by Gael Force Group.
Gael Force Group managing director, Stewart Graham, said, “…in the face of tough competition we are delighted to be favoured with this order from Marine Harvest.”
The design and construction of the SeaMate feed barges means the bulk of the silo capacity of the barge is below the waterline. This creates a minimal visual footprint, said Gael Force Group.
Noise suppression is possible above and below the water due to the barges’ 300mm thick walls.
The barges also feature a watertight ‘homing’ position which the swan neck delivery pipe defaults to when not feeding, or when a pipe becomes detached.
The SeaMate is designed to be low maintenance and to withstand heavy load combinations.
This is the 80th feed barge Gael Force Group has supplied to the industry and the businesses largest ever single order.
The initial order will enable a doubling of capacity at Marine Harvest’s Inverness based manufacturing facility, said the company.
Mr Graham stressed: “It can and should be recognised that when all of the stakeholders in our industry, including producers, planners and regulators, work together then we can grow together. It is essential that our regulators take an enabling and proportionate approach to supporting the development of the great Scottish success story that Salmon is.
“There are huge positive benefits to the wider rural economy and its communities and this order is a great example of that positive impact on the Highland economy. We trust that all necessary support will be given to support the further development of our industry in line with our strategy out to 2030.”
