The UK arm of Norway's Mowi has taken delivery of the first of five refurbished feed barges as part of a project to consolidate four former Dawnfresh Seafoods Loch Etive farms down to three, the company announced on Tuesday.
Three of the five Sea-Cap barges will be used in Loch Etive and will feed remotely from the shore base, reducing marine traffic on the loch and vessel emissions, while two barges will be available for Mowi's operations in Ireland, the company said.
Mowi worked with Gael Force Group to repurpose the barges.
According to Mowi, upcycling redundant concrete barge hulls into profile energy-efficient hybrid barges will provide sustainability benefits and cost savings of approximately £4 million relative to purchasing new feed barges.
Mowi, the largest supplier of farm-raised salmon in the UK and globally, acquired the Loch Etive sites from Dawnfresh in 2022.
A consultation exercise was held with local residents of Loch Etive over the plan.
"Upon consultation to gauge the views of the communities surrounding Loch Etive, residents were largely supportive of the changes to lower-profile equipment and hybrid battery barges," said Clara MacGhee, area manager for Dawnfresh.
"Some fairly stated that farming operations could be tidier, so this shift is an important step to reduce the impact on the surrounding area."
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