A smart salmon farming project using recycled cold energy from liquefied natural gas, or LNG, has officially launched in Dapeng.

The project will use cold energy released during the LNG regasification process to maintain water temperatures suitable for salmon farming. When LNG is warmed and converted back into gas, it absorbs heat and produces chilled seawater, which can be treated and delivered to farming tanks at a stable temperature of about 16 degrees Celsius.

Dapeng is one of Shenzhen's major clean-energy hubs, with three nuclear power companies, two gas-fired power companies, four LNG receiving terminals and 11 LNG storage tanks, providing abundant cold-energy resources.

Using Norwegian recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology, the project aims to build a fully automated, digital and intelligent land-based salmon industrial park. It will integrate salmon farming, processing, research and development, trading and visitor experiences into a broader zero-carbon smart aquaculture ecosystem.

The project is designed to demonstrate the large-scale use of LNG cold energy in aquaculture and develop a model that could be replicated elsewhere. Once fully operational, it is expected to produce 5,000 metric tons of salmon annually and generate about 500 million yuan (US$70 million) in annual output value.