VESSEL REVIEW | Taishan No 1 – China's newest fish farming platform boasts innovative mooring system

China's Taishan Marine Development Group recently took delivery of a new deep-sea fish harvesting platform designed by local engineering firm Zhuhai Desay.

Taishan No 1 (台山1号) has a frame type structure, an LOA of 103 metres (338 feet), a beam of 31.5 metres (103 feet), a design draught of 10 metres (33 feet), a depth of 12 metres (39 feet), and a total capacity of 30,000 cubic metres (one million cubic feet).

The platform is also capable of withstanding extreme typhoon conditions of up to Beaufort Force 12, as validated during a series of tests conducted in Chinese offshore waters in early September.

Flexible anchoring ideal for extreme weather conditions

A single-point mooring system of suction piles will enable the platform to be anchored securely even in soft seabed clay. The aquaculture platform is the first structure of its kind in China to be fitted with this type of mooring system, which permits the platform to rotate up to 360 degrees to adjust to rough sea conditions.

Because the platform can freely rotate around the mooring point, the impact of strong winds and waves upon it will be reduced, thus ensuring safety and stability.

Intelligent systems and an advanced net assembly

The platform adopts an innovative design for the netting binding. Through independent hanging of the net, the number binding points can be reduced even while ensuring the same binding coverage. This allows for rapid recovery and installation of the net, thus facilitating faster repair and minimising the need for labour.

The platform is also equipped with systems for intelligent breeding, intelligent monitoring and traceability, and precision farming. All these systems will help significantly improve the survival rate of the harvested fish.

A set of ballast tanks meanwhile allows the platform to be partially submerged to maintain a level attitude amid constant wave motion.

Taishan No 1 will be deployed in the waters off Guangdong province. It will initially be used for deep-sea harvesting of catfish.

Construction of the platform was undertaken in compliance with China Classification Society rules.