Air Water decided to accept the third-party allotment capital by FRD Japan (FRD) together with STI Foods Holdings and other five companies.

This investment is part of the attempts to follow the strategic tie-up between Air Water and Mitsui & Co. in February 2022 for FRD of its affiliate. Air Water’s investment amounts to 5 billion yen. 　

FRD is engaged in the aquaculture business of salmon trout using the closed-cycle system of land-based type of its own development.

The procured fund will be used for the construction and operation of the salmon trout plant (with an annual production scale of 3,500 tons located in Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture) of which construction is to start in July of this year.

The Air Water Group has participated in the business to provide “land-based aquaculture platform” taking advantage of the technologies which are indispensable for the land aquaculture such as oxygen, artificial sea water and freshness maintenance.

In Hokkaido (operation commenced in May this year) and Nagano Prefecture (for operation in the summer of 2024) the company planned to attempt to operate a small-scaled land-based aquaculture plant controlling the initial investment and also the development of auxiliary facilities as well as a high-efficiency aquaculture. Through the investment and competition for FRD at this time Air Water intends to optimize a breeding efficiency as well as the supply of oxygen and others in the land-based aquaculture plant.