Commercial Aquaculture Definition
What is a RAS Facility?
A RAS facility is an indoor aquaculture plant that recirculates 90–99% of its water through mechanical and biological filtration, oxygenation and disinfection. It enables year-round production near consumption markets, independent of climate or open water.
Also known as: Recirculating Aquaculture System · Indoor fish farm · Land-based aquaculture
Typical CAPEX
USD 1M – 80M+
Water reuse
90 – 99%
Common species
Salmon, Trout, Sea bass, Sea bream, Tilapia, Shrimp
Footprint
1 – 20 hectares (indoor halls)
Definition
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) treat and re-use process water rather than exchanging it with the environment. Core loops include drum filters (solids removal), biofilters (nitrification), degassing, oxygenation and UV/ozone disinfection. RAS is used for salmon, trout, sea bass, sea bream, tilapia, shrimp and hatcheries.
Planning steps
- Species, capacity (t/y) and market definition
- Site: land, power, water source, effluent, logistics
- System design: tanks, filtration, oxygenation, backup
- Biosecurity and hall layout
- CAPEX budget and financing structure
- EPC selection and equipment RFQ
Technical considerations
- Drum filter and swirl separator for solids
- Moving-bed biofilter (MBBR) for nitrification
- Oxygen cones or low-head oxygenators
- CO₂ degassing and pH control
- UV / ozone disinfection loop
- Emergency oxygen, generator and alarm systems
Commercial terminology
- CAPEX per ton of annual capacity
- Energy (kWh/kg produced) — main OPEX driver
- Feed cost and FCR
- Insurance premium (single-point-of-failure risk)
- Financing: DFI, ECA, green loans
Frequently asked questions
Related
FishMatch Group · part of GlobalB2BGroup