The world’s biggest prawn farm is closer to reality with confirmation that Seafarms Group Limited has secured a 90-year sublease on Legune Station in the Northern Territory.

The $1.5 billion Project Sea Dragon will create 10,000ha of black tiger prawn ponds at the site, on the border between Northern Territory and Western Australia, about 130km east of Kununurra and 340km south-west of Darwin.

The project, focussing on sustainable land use, is designed to begin production on a nominal 1000ha of land-based ponds, producing about 12,000 tonnes of prawns a year.

In the longer term, the total project footprint will occur across three main areas: Legune Station, Darwin area, and Kununurra/Wyndham area.

It is expected that the project will produce high-quality, year-round reliable prawn volumes for export markets.

A number of work packages have been listed on ICN Gateway, with a recent round of 5 significant packages for the Legune site development attracting in excess 100 full scope and 350 partial scope expressions of interest. The recently listed packages were:

Inlet channel, settlement pond and hardstands
Grow out ponds
Main discharge channel
250 person accommodation camp
Seawater intake structure (jetty) and discharge outlet

The shortlisted businesses are expected to submit tenders early in January with the final investment decision for the project anticipated in April 2019.

Recently, NT-based companies, Allen King and Sons Construction and Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec have already been awarded contracts for early works. Announcing the successful tenders, Seafarms Director Harley Whitcombe said ‘strong local contractor interest has already been generated and it remains Seafarms’ intent to source local contractors wherever it’s appropriate to do so’.

As construction of stage one continues into 2019, further work packages will be listed through ICN Gateway. Construction plans include:

An environmental protection zone and constructed marine wetlands
Power generation comprising hybrid solar and duel-fueled engines
Diesel and LNG supply and storage
Construction of large sheds and laboratories
Major water filtration and treatment systems
Facilities such as workshops, warehouses, administration, laboratories, feed storage, harvesting facilities
Diesel supply and storage for light and heavy vehicles
Core breeding centre and a broodstock maturation centre, in the Darwin region constructed in the Darwin area, and
A processing plant at Kununurra.

Seafarms is encouraging interested local companies to submit an expression of interest on Project Sea Dragon’s Gateway Page. For more information, visit Seafarms’ Project Sea Dragon website.