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ViewPoint SEAFARM reuse existing drilling platforms for innovative off-shore fish farming

Last updated: Jan 22, 2025

Summary

ViewPoint SEAFARM develops offshore facilities for fish farming based on the reuse of existing drilling platforms previously used in the oil and gas industry.

Problem

- In the North Sea, there are around a hundred drilling platforms that are to be scrapped or nearing the end of their life.

- Many of the concerns surrounding fish farming arise from the crowding together of thousands of fish in their artificial environment creating issues around water quality, contamination, and disease.

Solution

ViewPoint SEAFARM develops offshore facilities for fish farming based on the reuse of existing drilling platforms from the oil and gas industry. The cages are developed with “demanding seas” (e.g. the north sea which are surrounded by weather conditions the platforms have already been designed to tolerate) in mind, and the net system can withstand harsh conditions.

Outcome

ViewPoint enables fish farms in new sea areas which earlier have not been used for fish farms due to lack of proper equipment and technology (cage designs). In this way, a more predictable and sustainable food production is ensured, and at the same time, the platforms are reused. A drilling platform that is planned for scrapping can be reused with a utilization rate of up to 60%.