China unveils smart shipboard farm for offshore fresh produce

People working in remote locations like the open sea, deep-sea areas and polar regions have long struggled with limited access to fresh vegetables but are now able to grow and enjoy their own produce.

Notably, a smart farm designed for ship applications made its debut at Marintec China 2025, held in Shanghai in east China this week. Developed by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), this innovative product combines advanced technologies, precise environmental control systems and eco-friendly design features. It enables year-round cultivation of edible fungi, vegetables and fruits.

Yang Wenwu, chairman of CSSC International Engineering Co., Ltd., told Xinhua that the shipboard hybrid smart cultivation facility features a "vegetable-mushroom symbiosis" system. By enabling vegetables to absorb carbon dioxide while mushrooms release it, the system establishes an efficient gas cycle within enclosed environments. This innovative approach helps greatly reduce energy consumption caused by large temperature differences between indoor and outdoor spaces and frequent air exchange, offering a more sustainable solution.

Boasting pesticide-free cultivation, the facility can grow over 120 varieties of mushrooms, vegetables and fruits, ensuring both product diversity and high standards of safety, cleanliness and quality.

It also marks a significant improvement in efficiency. According to Yang, the current global energy consumption level among similar products stands at approximately 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilogram of vegetables produced. In contrast, the innovative Chinese product can use less than 6 kilowatt-hours per kilogram of vegetables.

Engineers also found some solutions enabling it to deal with often challenging environments, such as high corrosion and intense vibrations, ensuring optimal growing conditions on the ship.

For offshore workers who have to work on the open seas, deep-sea locations and polar regions, access to fresh vegetables has been seen as a rare luxury, with supplies sometimes arriving only once every few weeks or even months. Such prolonged scarcity can lead to serious physiological and psychological health risks.

This new product will overcome barriers related to geography, climate and resources, also serving as a source of fresh, healthy vegetables for residents of water-scarce islands and arid inland regions, its developer said.