Ocean Farm 1 (OF1) is the world’s first semi-submersible offshore aquaculture facility, combining technology from the aquaculture and offshore industries to create a stable and secure structure capable of operating in exposed areas.
The hull of OF1 consists of a semi-submersible steel structure. It features ballast tanks at the bottom to allow the hull to be raised/lowered from operational draft to inspection draft. A central module is positioned above the main deck and contains, among other things, a control room, living quarters, silos for fish feed storage, an engine room, and a laboratory. The net structure consists of a rigid main net that covers the sides and bottom of the cage. It is attached to the hull by tensioned lines. An outer secondary net covers the entire perimeter of the cage from the main deck down to and including the splash zone.
OF1 has an integrated crowding system for fish handling. This system includes a rotating push partition with a submersible rigid net structure and two fixed partitions with submersible and rigid net structures. This allows the facility to be divided into three zones. One of the zones has a raisable bottom, used, among other things, for transferring fish into a wellboat. With this system, all fish handling can be done within the facility, independent of the outer net structure.
The facility is equipped with an advanced feeding system that ensures optimal growth and feed utilization. The feeding system uses real-time monitoring to adjust the amount and distribution of feed based on fish behavior and environmental conditions. Advanced sensor and monitoring technology continuously track environmental factors such as temperature, oxygen levels, and water quality. This helps ensure favorable conditions for the fish and improves fish welfare.