Intelligent deep-sea aquaculture vessel deployed in Qingdao, China

An aerial drone image captured on April 17, 2025, shows a deep-sea intelligent aquaculture vessel docked at the Beihai yard port in Qingdao, located in east China's Shandong Province. The 150,000-tonne vessel was officially delivered on Thursday for use in Qingdao. Equipped with an advanced smart aquaculture system, the ship is projected to yield 3,600 tonnes of premium fish annually. Its breeding cabins are suitable for cultivating species such as large yellow croaker and salmon. [Photo/Xinhua]

A deep-sea intelligent aquaculture vessel with a displacement of 150,000 tonnes was officially delivered on Thursday in Qingdao, a port city in eastern China.

Funded by Qingdao Conson Development (Group) Co., Ltd., the vessel measures 244.9 meters in length and is equipped with 15 breeding cabins that collectively hold nearly 100,000 cubic meters of water.

Approximately 610 million yuan (around 84.6 million USD) was invested in the vessel, which will be operated by Qingdao Conson.

Designed with a smart aquaculture system, the ship is expected to produce 3,600 tonnes of premium fish annually. The breeding cabins are suitable for raising species such as large yellow croaker and salmon.

This new vessel is a more advanced version of a 100,000-tonne model that was launched on May 20, 2022. The earlier ship has since sailed over 17,000 nautical miles, pioneering the shift from nearshore to deep-sea aquaculture by utilizing high-quality ocean water for fish farming.

The upgraded vessel incorporates over 160 technological innovations, with significant enhancements in digital and intelligent systems. The entire fish farming process is now fully automated through machinery.