Qingdao Conson Development Co and the Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co signed a cooperative agreement on June 3 to build the world's first 100,000-ton intelligent aquaculture ship.

The ship is expected to be delivered in March 2022. It is expected to produce 4,000 tons of high-quality fish annually, with an annual operating income of about 220 million yuan ($30.95 million).

A signing ceremony is held on June 3 in Qingdao. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

The 249-meter-long ship, with an aquaculture area of 80,000 cubic meters, will receive about 400 million yuan in investment.

Aquaculture vessels are an important means of boosting marine aquaculture and promoting marine fishery intellectualization in China, said local officials.

Qingdao Conson Development Co has worked with related companies and research institutions such as the Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology and the China Academy of Fishery Science to launch the aquaculture ship project.

A design sketch of the smart aquaculture ship [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

Through system integration and innovation, the vessel will create a new mode of intelligent aquaculture, which can effectively prevent the pollution of offshore aquaculture and the risk of far-sea aquaculture. The vessel will also drive the integrated development of ship design and construction, smart fishery, internet of things, deep processing of aquatic products and more, said a senior manager from Qingdao Conson Development Co.

The company will invest and build 50 such ships, in a bid to form a far-reaching marine aquaculture industrial chain with an annual output of more than 200,000 tons of fish, and an output value exceeding 11 billion yuan.