VRI: Nordic Clean Pumps has created a mixing module for oxygen for farmed fish in closed facilities on land. With VRI support, a global market opens up for the Haugesund company.
Proper levels of oxygen and nitrogen in the water are crucial for farmed fish to have good health and growth. It is the fish farmer who must ensure that the water that is pumped into the fish tank for farmed fish achieves the right pressure and composition of gases. This has often failed due to excessive oxygen pressure.
To achieve the “right gas”, Kjell Erik Røvang, Johannes Apeland and Jørn Køber in Nordic Clean Pumps (NCP) have designed a system with drivelines for pumps and specially designed distrobution unit that ensures that you have full control of the gas that is injected. VRI Rogaland has provided NOK 150,000 in support of research assistance to measure and analyze gas pressure and composition in the water that is pumped in to the fishing vessel.
– The VRI support has been used to run testing at Alsaker’s plant at Bømlo and at MOWI’s tank in Skånevik, says Røvang, who is the chairman of the board and R&D responsible for NCP.
80% energy savings
The founders call the concept total gas control (TGC). The company is currently in full swing with testing of live fish in smolt plants at freshwater and saltwater RAS (recycling plant for fish), both at Erko Settefisk in Stord. The system is also being tested at flow-through systems with roe biscuit production at Lumarine in Nord-Møre.
So far, the results show up to 80 percent reduction in energy consumption by adding oxygen to the water. It has been shown that the system provides a noise-free environment for the fish, and that the level of nitrogen and carbon dioxide is significantly reduced, which according to the fish farmers has a positive effect on fish health. Competence broker for the VRI project Morten Bergslien from Blue Planet believes that Nordic Clean Pumps has hit a growing market with its solutions.
– Land-based farming will be much more in the future, and there is a tremendous interest out there. It is very important for the players to gain control of the gas, and here Nordic Clean Pumps has positioned itself very interestingly, says Bergslien.
Builds pilot plant
Following an extensive application process with assistance from, among others, Blue Planet, Nordic Clean Pumps has received support for a main project through Innovation Norway’s scheme with grants for innovation contracts. The goal is to further ensure the quality of the TGC unit through a pilot plant together with partners in the aquaculture industry.
– Testing and research is what we need to drive innovation. The goal is to adapt the components of the technology to absolutely all facilities, from cages in the sea to food fish production on land, Røvang and Apeland say.
The TGC project, which VRI Rogaland has supported, is part of a larger investment by Nordic Clean Pumps in pump technology for the aquaculture industry globally. With its focus on research and development, the company recently won a major contract with Grieg Seafood at their fish farm in Newfoundland, Canada.
Read the original article here: Satser på oksygen for fisk – Rogaland Fylkeskommune
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