Scottish Gael Force Group, manufacturer and supplier of aquaculture equipment, has secured a new order to build three concrete feed barges with offshore feeding systems for Marine Harvest Scotland.
This order will mark the company’s 80th feed barge for the industry and their largest ever single order, Gael Force announces in a press release. The barges have a feed capacity of 400 metric tons. The barge order also has options for Marine Harvest to commission further barge construction from Gael Force.
Feed delivery from the barges will come via a recently developed offshore feeding system with a watertight ‘homing’ position to which the swan neck delivery pipe defaults when not feeding, or if a pipe becomes detached.
Effect on the communities
“When all of the stakeholders in our industry, including producers, planners and regulators, work together then we can grow together,” said Stewart Graham, the company’s managing director.
“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.”
Double capacity
Gael Force has supplied Marine Harvest Scotland with feed barges before at their Muck and Colonsay sites.
The order will double the capacity at Gael Force’s Inverness manufacturing facility, which will also assist in accommodating an increased programme of barge builds over the coming two years, including barge build capacity for other Scottish salmon producers.
