Planning scenario · not a completed project
500 Ton Shrimp Farm Cost | Ponds, Aeration & RFQ
As a planning range, a 500 tonne/year vannamei farm costs about USD 1.3 million – USD 3.0 million as intensive lined ponds and USD 2.0 million – USD 4.5 million as biofloc or greenhouse units, excluding land. A hatchery, processing plant and power connection add to the total. Use the shrimp calculator, then compare turnkey quotes through one RFQ.
Project at a glance
- Production
- 500 tonnes/year
- Crops per year
- 2.5 (warm climate)
- Harvest per crop
- ≈ 200 tonnes
- Pond area (intensive, ~8 t/ha/crop)
- ≈ 25 ha water surface
- Aeration (1 hp per 450 kg biomass)
- ≈ 444 hp installed
- Annual feed (FCR 1.3)
- 650 tonnes
- Post-larvae needed (22 g, 75% survival)
- ≈ 30 million PL/year
- Aeration energy
- ≈ 1,989 MWh/year
At 500 tonnes a year a shrimp farm needs a nursery phase, reliable post-larvae supply (often its own hatchery), significant aeration power and access to a processing plant or its own grading and freezing line.
Technology options compared
| System | Indicative CAPEX | Land | Water | Power | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intensive lined ponds | USD 1.3 million – USD 3.0 million | ≈ 35 ha incl. canals | Moderate exchange, reservoir + settling | ≈ 1,989 MWh/yr | Coastal brackish sites, warm climate, most commercial projects |
| Biofloc / greenhouse | USD 2.0 million – USD 4.5 million | ≈ 13 ha | Very low exchange | Higher per kg (continuous aeration) | Inland or cooler sites, biosecurity focus, skilled operators |
| Shrimp RAS / indoor raceways | USD 5.0 million – USD 10 million | ≈ 6 ha | < 5% daily | Highest per kg | Premium fresh markets near cities, cold climates |
Equipment and construction, excluding land, working capital and taxes. Preliminary planning estimates — not quotes.
Equipment categories
- Pond lining (HDPE) and earthworks
- Paddle-wheel and long-arm aerators, blowers and diffusers
- Automatic / acoustic shrimp feeders
- Intake and drainage pumps, reservoir and settling ponds
- Water treatment and sludge removal
- Water-quality monitoring and alarms
- Nursery raceways
- Hatchery (broodstock, algae, artemia, larval tanks)
- Harvest, grading and ice
- Processing, IQF freezing and cold storage
- Backup generators for aeration
Assumptions
- Vannamei, 22 g harvest, 75% survival, FCR 1.3, 2.5 crops/year.
- Intensive lined ponds ≈ 8 t/ha per crop.
- Aeration ≈ 1 hp per 450 kg of standing biomass at harvest, ~20 h/day, 300 days/year.
- CAPEX covers equipment and construction, excluding land, working capital and taxes. Planning estimates only — not quotes.
Questions buyers ask
How much does a 500 ton shrimp farm cost?
As a planning range, a 500 tonne/year vannamei farm costs about USD 1.3 million – USD 3.0 million as intensive lined ponds and USD 2.0 million – USD 4.5 million as biofloc or greenhouse units, excluding land. A hatchery, processing plant and power connection add to the total. Use the shrimp calculator, then compare turnkey quotes through one RFQ.
How many hectares does a 500 ton shrimp farm need?
At around 8 tonnes per hectare per crop and 2.5 crops a year, 500 tonnes needs roughly 25 hectares of pond water surface, or about 35 hectares including reservoirs, canals and settling ponds. Semi-intensive farms need two to four times more area.
How much aeration does a 500 ton shrimp farm need?
Using the common rule of about 1 horsepower per 450 kg of harvest biomass, 500 tonnes a year in 2.5 crops needs roughly 444 hp of installed aeration, usually paddle-wheels plus some diffused air. Final sizing depends on density, temperature and dissolved-oxygen targets.
How much feed does a 500 ton shrimp farm use?
At an FCR of 1.3, producing 500 tonnes of shrimp uses about 650 tonnes of feed a year. Automatic feeders and good aeration are the two investments that most often improve FCR on commercial farms.
Turn this scenario into a real project
Send it as one RFQ. A FishMatch project lead reviews it and shortlists 3–5 suitable manufacturers, integrators or EPC contractors, so you receive comparable proposals.
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Short answer
What is the fastest way to get quotes for 500 Ton Shrimp Farm?
Submit one structured request for 500 Ton Shrimp Farm. FishMatch Group translates it into a technical RFQ, runs a confidential sourcing round with project-matched international suppliers, and returns comparable quotations. No fee is charged to the buyer, and your identity and project details stay private until you choose to proceed.
- How it works:
- One structured request, human-reviewed before any supplier outreach
- Typical turnaround:
- Depends on scope and site data; no turnaround is guaranteed
- Confidentiality:
- Supplier names are never exposed during evaluation
- Cost to buyers:
- No fee charged to the buyer
What is the fastest way to get quotes for 500 Ton Shrimp Farm?
Submit one structured request for 500 Ton Shrimp Farm. FishMatch Group translates it into a technical RFQ, runs a confidential sourcing round with project-matched international suppliers, and returns comparable quotations. No fee is charged to the buyer, and your identity and project details stay private until you choose to proceed.
How does FishMatch Group source suppliers for this requirement?
You submit one structured request. We translate it into a technical RFQ, run it against qualified manufacturers and integrators in the relevant categories, and return normalised quotations you can compare side by side on scope, lead time and total cost of ownership.
Do buyers see supplier names during the sourcing process?
No. Supplier identities stay confidential during discovery and evaluation. You receive anonymised, comparable technical and commercial packages, and introductions happen only after both sides are qualified and agree to proceed.