Mowi Scotland has successfully delivered the first of five fully refurbished Sea-Cap feed barges to Loch Etive as part of a project to consolidate operations from four farms to three.
Three of these upcycled barges will be used in Loch Etive, feeding remotely from the shore base to reduce marine traffic and vessel emissions. The remaining two barges will support Mowi’s operations in Ireland.
The refurbishment of redundant concrete barge hulls into low-profile, energy-efficient hybrid barges is expected to save approximately £4 million compared to purchasing new feed barges. This project also offers significant sustainability benefits, according to a press release from the salmon producer.
Mowi, the UK’s largest supplier of farm-raised salmon, acquired the sites at Loch Etive from Dawnfresh in 2022. A consultation exercise with local residents indicated strong support for the changes, particularly the shift to lower profile equipment and hybrid battery barges.
Clara MacGhee, Area Manager for Dawnfresh, noted, “Residents were largely supportive of the changes to lower profile equipment and hybrid battery barges. Some fairly stated that farming operations could be tidier, so this shift is an important step to reduce the impact on the surrounding area.”
Dougie Gibson, a specialist in vessel and barge engineering, emphasized the positive environmental impact of the refurbishment. “The refurbishment and re-use of these redundant barges is a great use of resources with a positive outcome for the environment. All five barges have been fitted with soundproofing and designed to lessen the height and visual profile, reducing emissions and noise.”
Mowi Scotland collaborated with Gael Force Group for the repurposing work. Stewart Graham, Managing Director of Gael Force Group, highlighted the sustainability and economic benefits of the project. “We reconfigured the designs, removing the superstructure thereby lowering the profile and the visual impact, fitted new up-to-date Gael Force SeaFeed systems and hybrid power solutions.”
The design and upgrade works were carried out at Gael Force’s facility in Inverness. “This project is a superb example of low environmental impact and low-cost repurposing of an existing asset, which, due to the hybrid system fitted, will now also run with very significant energy savings,” Graham added.
