500-ton RAS farm project — industrial-scale recirculating aquaculture blueprint
A 500-ton/year RAS farm is the sweet spot for institutional financing — large enough to attract DFI + ECA senior debt, small enough to permit and commission in 24–30 months. This blueprint benchmarks the engineering, budget, equipment, water/power and financing structure used by international operators.
500 t/year finfish · 12,000–18,000 m³ culture volume · 98–99.5% recirculation
- Vendor-neutral
- DFI + ECA ready
- Benchmarked CAPEX
- Water & power sized
- Financing structured
Engineering
- Steady-state 500 t/year; ~150–200 t standing biomass at 25–45 kg/m³ depending on species
- Multiple independent RAS modules for biosecurity (typically 3–5 modules)
- Drum filters + MBBR biofilter sized to full feed load (~1.6 t feed/day at FCR 1.2)
- Full CO₂ stripping, oxygen cones, ozone + UV, denitrification loop, redundant blowers/pumps
- SCADA-integrated fish welfare, water quality and biomass management
Project Budget
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, tanks, insulated building (5,000–8,000 m²) | $4M | $7M |
| RAS process equipment across 3–5 modules | $6M | $10M |
| HVAC, chillers, heat pumps, dehumidification | $1.5M | $3M |
| Automation, SCADA, biomass & feeding systems | $1M | $2M |
| Backup power, LOX / on-site O₂, redundancy | $0.8M | $1.5M |
| Engineering, permits, commissioning, contingency 10–15% | $1.7M | $3M |
Total CAPEX: US$ 15M – US$ 30M
Equipment Planning
- Modular RAS trains (drum, MBBR, degasser, oxygen, UV/ozone) — 3 to 5 modules
- On-site VSA/PSA oxygen plant + LOX backup
- Central chilled-water plant, heat recovery, heat pumps
- Automated feeders, grading, pumping and harvest line
- Full SCADA / historian, water quality lab, biosecurity systems
Water Requirements
Power Requirements
Supplier Matching
FishMatch briefs 3–5 audited suppliers per package, benchmarks quotes on CAPEX / OPEX / lead time, and coordinates ECA + DFI financing across the shortlist.
RFQ Builder
One structured RFQ, vendor-neutral to shortlisted suppliers. No commitment, no fees.
Financing
- US$ 15–30M CAPEX is bankable for IFC / EBRD / AfDB / IDB senior debt tranches
- ECA-covered commercial debt on European / Asian RAS equipment (SACE, Euler Hermes, EKF, K-SURE)
- 12–15 year tenor, 2–3 year grace, DSCR ≥ 1.3× at base case
- Equity from strategic operators, blue-economy funds, or listed aquaculture groups
ROI
Indicative benchmarks. Actual returns depend on species, market, offtake, financing structure and operator track record.
Timeline
- Feasibility, permits, offtake M0–M9EIA, water rights, offtake MoUs
- FEED & financing close M6–M15EPC award, DFI + ECA close
- Construction M12–M28Civil, mechanical, process, SCADA
- Biological ramp M26–M36Module-by-module ramp to 500 t
Government Incentives
- IFC / AfDB / IDB / EBRD blue-economy financing at 5–8% with 7–15 year tenors
- Export credit agency (ECA) cover from Euler Hermes, SACE, UKEF, EDC, K-SURE
- Blended finance and viability gap funding for food-security aquaculture projects
- National agri-processing / SEZ tax holidays (5–15 years) and import-duty waivers on equipment
- Aquaculture-specific grants and concessional loans under national blue-economy strategies
Calculators
500-Ton RAS Farm — frequently asked
Is a 500-ton RAS farm bankable?
Yes. US$ 15–30M CAPEX is the sweet spot for DFI + ECA senior debt. Bankability depends on species economics, offtake, water rights and operator track record.
How long does construction take?
24–30 months from FEED to first harvest, with staged commissioning of modules to de-risk biology.
Vendor-neutral EPC + ECA + DFI structuring, from feasibility to first harvest.