8-12T/H Shrimp Feed Pellet Machine in Saudi Arabia

A Vision 2030 Agribusiness Megaproject in Desert Aquaculture

The client is a subsidiary of a major Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth investment fund, tasked with developing large-scale, sustainable food production projects. This shrimp farm is a flagship endeavor. The decision to procure a single, high-output aquafeed pellet mill was driven by scale, operational control, and national strategy.

They required a machine capable of running continuously to match the high biomass and feeding demands of their massive RAS facility. Reliability and minimal downtime were paramount, as any feed production halt would directly impact millions of valuable shrimp.

They needed a machine engineered for harsh environments (dust, heat) and capable of producing the specific pellet sizes required for their automated feeding systems. Buying one large machine, rather than multiple smaller ones, simplified logistics, maintenance, and operational control for this centralized, high-tech operation.

Raw Material Logistics and Machine Specification for a Desert Megafarm

Given the desert location, all raw materials are imported through dedicated logistics channels:

• Core Ingredients: Premium soybean meal and wheat gluten from the Americas, high-quality fishmeal from Peru and Chile, and poultry by-product meal.
• Specialized Additives: Squid meal, krill meal, algae oils (DHA/EPA), and advanced vitamin/mineral premixes tailored for RAS conditions where water stability is even more critical.

The formulation is optimized for fast growth and optimal health in a bio-secure, zero-discharge RAS. Given the project's immense scale—one of the largest indoor shrimp farms in the world—the feed demand is substantial. After detailed modeling of shrimp biomass growth curves and feeding schedules, the RICHI SZLH678 Shrimp Feed Pellet Machine was selected. To ensure absolute production continuity and provide redundancy for the mission-critical feed supply, the project invested in two identical units.

• Model: SZLH678 (Two Units)
• Main Motor Power: 250 kW per unit – This immense power is necessary to drive the large ring die and achieve the high pressure required for the dense, low-porosity pellets needed in RAS to minimize nutrient leaching.
• Conditioner Configuration – Industrial-Strength Precision: They specified the Three-Layer Dual-Shaft Paddle Conditioner with Integrated Liquid/Surge Hopper (11kW). This is the industrial heavyweight champion of conditioning. The dual shafts with intermeshing paddles provide extreme shear and mixing force, ensuring total homogenization of the high-fat, high-binder recipe. The integrated surge hopper before the conditioner allows for consistent feed of mash regardless of upstream minor fluctuations, which is critical for maintaining pellet quality in 24/7 operation. This system guarantees maximum starch gelatinization and binding agent activation.
• Ring Die Internal Diameter: 673mm – A massive die offering a huge pelleting surface area, essential for achieving the target high throughput.
• Target Pellet Sizes: The primary product is a 2.2mm sinking pellet for the main grow-out phase. The machine's robust design also allows for the production of 1.8mm pellets for early juveniles and 2.5mm pellets for larger shrimp, all with the same exceptional water stability.
• Combined Output: Each machine is rated for 4-6 tonnes per hour. Operating both units, the on-site mill can produce 8-12 tonnes of feed per hour. This staggering capacity is designed to meet the daily feed demand of the vast farm, producing hundreds of tonnes per week, making the project largely self-sufficient.

The Pellet Machine's Role: The Industrial Heart of a Controlled Ecosystem

These two shrimp feed pellet machines are not just feed producers; they are life-support system components for a closed-loop aquatic environment.

1. Ensuring Biosecurity and Supply Chain Resilience: Producing feed on-site behind strict biosecurity barriers eliminates the risk of introducing pathogens via imported feed bags. It also insulates the project from global freight disruptions and currency volatility, making operating costs more predictable and secure—a key tenet of the food security strategy.
2. Engineering Feed for Hyper-Intensive Systems: The RAS environment demands feed with near-perfect water stability to prevent fouling of biofilters and protein skimmers. The extreme conditioning and high-pressure pelleting from the SZLH678 produce pellets of unparalleled density and durability, with a water stability time exceeding 12 hours, which is critical for maintaining pristine water quality in a zero-discharge system.
3. Enabling Precision Nutrition and Automation: The consistent pellet size and quality are perfect for the farm's automated, computer-controlled feeding systems. Consistent pellets ensure accurate feeding rates, reduce waste, and support optimized growth models. The on-site production allows for rapid formulation adjustments based on real-time water quality data and shrimp health monitoring.
4. Operating as a Strategic National Asset: This shrimp feed production line, centered on the RICHI machines, transforms the project from a mere farm into an integrated food production complex. It contributes directly to the national GDP, creates high-tech jobs, and serves as a model for future food security investments in the region.

The pellets are pneumatically conveyed directly from the cooler to large bulk silos, from which they are automatically dispensed to the feeding robots throughout the RAS halls, showcasing a fully integrated, automated production chain.

Logistics: Delivery to the Red Sea Coast

Given the size and value of the equipment, the two pellet mills were among the largest single pieces of machinery imported for the project. They were partially pre-assembled and load-tested. Major components were shipped in open-top and flat-rack containers. The shipment departed from Qingdao Port.

The most direct route to the project site was via the Port of Jeddah Islamic Port, the largest and busiest port on the Red Sea. After clearance, the oversized cargo was transported by specialized heavy-lift trucks along the coastal highway to the purpose-built industrial zone in Tabuk.

Technical Prowess: Why the SZLH678 with Heavy-Duty Conditioning Was Essential

The client's international engineering consortium selected RICHI after a grueling technical evaluation that prioritized capacity, reliability, and pellet quality above all.

• Unmatched Capacity for a Megaproject: The SZLH678 sits at the top end of commercial pelleting technology. Its 4-6 tonne/hour per unit output was one of the few solutions capable of meeting the projected feed demand of such a large-scale RAS facility, making it a future-proof investment.
• Industrial-Grade Conditioning for Critical Stability: The Three-Layer Dual-Shaft Paddle Conditioner was non-negotiable. For a RAS, feed stability is not just an economic factor (FCR) but an operational necessity. The intense shear and mixing of this conditioner ensure a completely cooked, homogenous mash that extrudes into a virtually indestructible pellet, protecting the sensitive and expensive water treatment infrastructure.
• Built for 24/7 Desert Operation: The machine's construction—with oversized bearings, high-grade alloy steel gears, and advanced cooling systems—is designed for continuous operation under demanding conditions. The reliability to run with minimal unscheduled downtime was a financial imperative for the client's business model.
• Automation and Control Readiness: The machine's design integrates seamlessly with modern industrial control systems (ICS), allowing for remote monitoring of power draw, bearing temperatures, and production rates, feeding data into the farm's central operating platform.

The RICHI Partnership: Commissioning a Critical National Infrastructure Project

We approached this as a project of national significance, requiring the highest level of partnership and support.

• Early-Stage Integration Engineering: Our engineers worked closely with the lead EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractor for over a year, providing detailed specifications for foundations, utilities, and material handling interfaces to ensure flawless integration into the automated feed mill design.
• Extended On-Site Commissioning by a Dedicated Team: A team of four RICHI senior engineers spent a month on-site for the installation and commissioning. The process involved laser alignment of the entire drive train, calibration of the sophisticated dual-shaft conditioners, and production of hundreds of tonnes of trial feed to fine-tune the process before the arrival of the first shrimp.
• Comprehensive Operator Training and Long-Term Service Agreement: We conducted extensive training for a team of Saudi engineers and technicians, creating a local knowledge base. A long-term service and parts supply agreement was established, including a local stock of critical wear parts (dies, rollers, conditioner shafts) and scheduled remote diagnostics.

Client Feedback: An Operational Director's View from a Flagship Project

After the successful ramp-up to full production capacity, the Operational Director of the aquaculture project provided this summary:

"The feed mill, with the RICHI feed pellet machines at its core, is the unsung hero of our operation. The scale and technical complexity of the installation were managed professionally. The performance of the machines has been outstanding. They consistently produce a pellet of exceptional hardness and water stability, which is absolutely fundamental to the health of our RAS.

Our water treatment team reports significantly lower organic loads than projected, which we attribute directly to the feed quality. From a reliability standpoint, running two machines gives us complete confidence. We have maintained our production schedules without issue.

These shrimp feed pellet machines are more than equipment; they are a strategic pillar of our project's viability and a key component in achieving our national food security objectives. They perform exactly as required for a world-class, intensive production system."

Powering a Food Security Vision in the Arabian Desert

This project in Saudi Arabia represents the apex of large-scale, technologically driven aquaculture and the critical role of advanced feed manufacturing technology within it. The two RICHI SZLH678 Shrimp Feed Pellet Machines are industrial powerhouses that enable a nation to pursue food sovereignty in a challenging environment.

They exemplify RICHI Machinery's capability to deliver not just machines, but total industrial solutions that meet the most demanding specifications for scale, reliability, and product quality, supporting the strategic ambitions of nations and global corporations alike.

Are you planning a large-scale aquaculture project, a national feed mill initiative, or an upgrade requiring extreme capacity and reliability? The cornerstone of your success is a pellet machine built for industrial duty.

RICHI Machinery provides the world's most robust shrimp feed pellet machines, heavy-duty aquafeed pelletizers, and high-capacity feed pellet presses, engineered for 24/7 operation and unmatched pellet quality.

Contact RICHI Machinery today to discuss how our flagship pelleting technology can form the reliable heart of your ambitious project, just as we partnered to support the realization of a groundbreaking food security vision in Saudi Arabia.