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 screened suppliers per package, benchmarks quotes on CAPEX / OPEX / lead time, and can introduce qualifying projects to independent ECA and DFI financing providers.
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
How ColdMatch Group works — independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform — ColdMatch Group is an independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform for industrial refrigeration, cold storage and cold-chain projects from USD $250K+, connecting buyers with qualified third-party suppliers, EPC contractors and independent financing providers.
Vendor-neutral EPC + ECA + DFI structuring, from feasibility to first harvest.