Nissui Deploys First Large Automatic Feeding Barge at Hirota Bay, Iwate; Targets 10,000 t Salmon Output by 2030

Nissui Corporation (Nissui) has deployed the group's first large automatic feeding barge at its salmon farm in Hirota Bay, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture. The floating facility, named "Salmon Star X," is operated and managed by its operating subsidiary Nissui Salmon Co., Ltd., and is the first feeding barge of this scale introduced at any of Nissui Group's domestic farming sites.

According to an official press release issued by Nissui on November 4, 2026, the barge is scheduled to enter regular commercial operation in mid-November after completing final technical commissioning. The timing aligns with the new seawater farming cycle in Hirota Bay—on November 5, 2026, juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) began being transferred to sea cages.

"Salmon Star X" was designed and built by Norwegian aquaculture technology supplier AKVA group ASA. With an overall length of approximately 22 meters, it is equipped with automated feed silos capable of storing up to 200 metric tonnes of dry pelleted feed. Feed is metered remotely from this offshore hub through a dedicated pipeline and hose network to the surrounding cages. This setup replaces conventional manual feeding: previously, transport vessels had to carry feed daily from the port quay to small automatic feeders installed on each cage, and as farming biomass grew, the labor frequency and fuel consumption of this operation kept rising.

Once "Salmon Star X" is fully operational, the farm can achieve self-sufficient feeding for up to 6 consecutive days without returning to port to replenish feed, with the specific operating margin adjusted according to daily feeding rates and biomass on hand.

Nissui management says centralizing feeding operations will substantially reduce offshore manual work hours and vessel trips. By cutting the number of support vessels and shortening voyages between the onshore quay and offshore cages, the group expects immediate reductions in diesel consumption and operational CO2 emissions. In addition, the pipeline delivery system can ensure continuity of feed supply under heavy swell or adverse weather conditions, which previously affected vessel berthing and manual loading. Feed is the largest single operating cost in salmon farming, but Nissui has not disclosed quantified projections for financial savings, feed conversion ratio (FCR) improvements or net emission reductions, saying these operating metrics will be evaluated progressively as production advances.

This infrastructure investment at Hirota Bay supports Nissui's long-term domestic salmon strategy: raising domestic salmon output from an estimated approximately 4,100 metric tonnes in 2025 to 10,000 tonnes by 2030. Achieving this output implies an expansion of about 144% over the 2025 baseline, with output rising to 2.4 times. The capital expansion plan also includes installing large circular cages approximately 50 meters in diameter and evaluating the addition of feeding barges at other offshore farming sites in Japan.

The subsidiary executing the project completed a corporate reorganization on April 1, 2026, changing its name from Yumigahama Suisan Co., Ltd. to Nissui Salmon Co., Ltd. Through this integration, Nissui aims to strengthen branded supply to Japanese domestic supermarkets, seafood retail channels, and restaurant and sushi chains, where demand for domestically farmed salmon remains strong.

On November 2, 2026, the group held a traditional Shinto ceremony for maritime safety at Hirota Fishing Port, after which it prepared for commercial launch in mid-November, positioning the project as a demonstration of applying advanced Norwegian farming technology in Japan's marine aquaculture sector.