New Huon Aquaculture barge to navigate roughest salmon farming areas

The southern hemisphere’s largest and most technologically advanced feed barge will ply some of the roughest salmon farming areas in the world – right here in Tasmania.

The fully automated Hogan is being billed as the most hi-tech feed barge in the southern hemisphere.

HUON Aquaculture has invested $10.5 million in a feed barge that it is hailing as the southern hemisphere’s largest and most technologically advanced.

The Hogan, designed by Huon Aquaculture in collaboration with AKVA and Crisp Bros. & Haywards, is fully autonomous with every system on the barge capable of being remotely operated from Huon’s feed control room in Hobart.

Huon Aquaculture co-founder and executive director Frances Bender said the Hogan set a new benchmark for innovation in aquaculture not only in Tasmania, but on the world stage.

“I believe that our new barge will make the international industry sit up and take even more notice of the groundbreaking work that is being done in our state,” she said.

“This means we will have cutting-edge, autonomous equipment to be used in some of the roughest salmon farming areas in the world.”

Peter and Frances Bender at the naming and launch of Huon Aquaculture’s fully automated feed barge Hogan.

The Hogan is the first of two 600-tonne feed barges that will service Huon’s Storm Bay leases.

Mrs Bender said the industry was moving further offshore and the only way that could happen was with this technology.

“We can’t go into rough sites unless we have this equipment so the industry can continue to grow, which means more jobs but we are keeping safety of our staff top of our minds,” she said

“I’m immensely proud that this groundbreaking vessel was not only constructed here in Tasmania, but that every employee of Crisp Bros. & Haywards is a local.

“We believe that wherever possible, jobs and economic benefits should flow back into our local rural communities so that they too can enjoy the benefits of our very successful industry.”

The sister ship to the Hogan is under construction and will be ready in 12 months.