Busan facility reuses up to 99% of farming water, with full-scale shipments set to begin this year
GS Engineering & Construction has completed a trial of its land-based Atlantic salmon farming operation, using its water treatment technology to build expertise for future aquaculture projects.
Its subsidiary Eco Aquafarm marked the milestone with a ceremony at the Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster in Gijang County on Wednesday. GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong attended alongside officials from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Busan Metropolitan Government.
Eco Aquafarm has managed the full production cycle, from hatching fertilized eggs to raising and shipping salmon. The facility combines a recirculating aquaculture system with digital monitoring and Zero Water Concept technology to reuse up to 99 percent of its farming water.
Farming Atlantic salmon requires precise control of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen as the fish transition between freshwater and seawater. Heat exchangers and precision controls keep water temperatures at 12-16 degrees Celsius during summer, while a central monitoring system tracks water quality and equipment in real time.
The company has applied for a patent for an underwater camera system that helps determine when salmon are ready to move to the next growth stage. GS E&C and Eco Aquafarm secured patents for recirculating aquaculture facilities in 2023 and desalination aquaculture facilities in 2025.
To strengthen food safety and quality control, Eco Aquafarm completed seafood traceability and HACCP registration last year and obtained antibiotic-free certification for its Atlantic salmon in June.
The companies are also working with LG Electronics to improve hygiene at land-based farms and with the National Institute of Fisheries Science on aquatic disease research and preventive vaccines.
GS E&C plans to use the technology, operating experience and data gathered in Busan to expand into other land-based aquaculture projects.
“We have accumulated the technologies and operational capabilities needed across the entire land-based aquaculture process, from water treatment and fish cultivation to facility operation, by raising Atlantic salmon at the Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster,” a GS E&C official said.
Completed in December 2024, the cluster has an annual production capacity of 500 tons of Atlantic salmon. GS E&C participates as a private-sector operator through Eco Aquafarm, which plans to begin full-scale shipments later this year.
jyoungseon8@heraldcorp.com
