Aquaculture projects in Vietnam

Local production context

• ▸Mekong Delta pangasius runs in high-density earthen ponds with heavy water exchange — pumping, intake screening and effluent treatment dominate the equipment budget rather than tanks.
• ▸Shrimp production is splitting into two tracks: traditional extensive ponds, and lined super-intensive systems with roofed nursery phases, central drains and continuous aeration.
• ▸Processing is where the largest single tickets sit — grading, IQF freezing, plate freezers, glazing lines and cold storage tied to export certification.
• ▸Salinity intrusion and delta water quality push new projects towards partial recirculation and hatchery biosecurity investment rather than pure pond expansion.

Vietnam project questions, answered

What equipment does a commercial shrimp farm in Vietnam need?

A lined intensive vannamei farm needs pond liners, aeration sized to standing biomass (typically the largest single power load), a nursery phase with heating and biosecure water treatment, automatic feeders, central-drain sludge removal, pumps for exchange, water-quality monitoring for dissolved oxygen, pH and salinity, and harvest handling with ice or chilling. Nursery and grow-out biosecurity — disinfection, filtration and separate water lines — decides whether the rest of the package performs.

What drives the cost of a pangasius farm project?

Pumping and water exchange capacity, pond civil works, feed storage and distribution, and effluent treatment. Because pangasius runs at very high density with continuous exchange, hydraulic capacity and power supply usually dominate CAPEX rather than tanks or automation.

Should a Vietnamese project use RAS or ponds?

Ponds remain the economic default for pangasius and most shrimp grow-out. RAS or partial recirculation is justified for hatcheries, nurseries and any site where salinity intrusion, temperature or water availability makes exchange unreliable. Most competitive new projects are hybrids: recirculating nursery, flow-through or pond grow-out.