Novel solutions tailored to regional needs: AQUAPHOENIX in Åland
Fish farming in Åland has huge potential for growth, with the area being well-positioned to supply regional and international markets with healthy, sustainable food. But this growth requires continuous commitment to sustainability.
In Åland, fish farming permits depend on compliance with strict regional limits for nitrogen and phosphorus emissions. To scale up production while safeguarding the environment, there is a pressing need to manage emissions.
“In Åland, we have a special situation. Anything we can do to reduce the load of nitrogen and phosphorus is going to benefit us.”
Rosita Broström, Executive Director at Ålands Fiskodlarförening R.F, describes the challenge facing local aquaculture producers.
Broström is coordinating the Åland component of the AQUAPHOENIX project: a four-year EU-funded project working to capture and recycle aquaculture waste (sludge). Now in its second year, AQUAPHOENIX project is actively testing novel technology for collecting sludge and preparing it for recycling in Norway and Åland. In this current phase of the project, this testing is being carried out in active production sites owned by AQUAPHOENIX industry partners, Brändö Lax Ab and Storfjärdens fisk Ab.
Solutions for managing aquaculture emissions
Fish farms produce sludge, or waste containing feed remnants and faeces. This product emits nitrogen and phosphorus (N+P), which can in turn negatively impact pollution, water quality and nutrient levels.
The AQUAPHOENIX project takes a groundbreaking approach to N+P management by installing sludge collection technologies in active fish farms across Norway and Åland. This technology is designed to pump and remove sludge from aquaculture pens and the marine environment, before storing and treating it for reuse.
Sludge collection has the potential to reduce N+P emissions, thus allowing fish farmers to scale up production while ensuring healthy seas. The successful implementation of this technology “would be an absolute game changer,” says Broström. “Not just for Åland, but for the entire Baltic Sea Region.”
Technology tailored to regional conditions
In responding to the challenge of sludge management, AQUAPHOENIX partners are taking regional characteristics into account and develop tailored solutions to sludge management. Fish farms in Åland experience distinct conditions including shallow waters and strong current. Åland fish farms therefore require a wide, shallow pen for collecting sludge.
In the initial stages of the Åland installation, farmers and industry experts are installing custom-made cages to collect sludge. They will also assess the effects of the region’s stronger currents on sludge pumping. These initial activities will lay the groundwork for developing an effective, fit to purpose system for transporting sludge from offshore pens to on-land sites, where it can be treated and stored for further processing.
Because of Åland’s distinct regional characteristics, AQUAPHOENIX has taken a phased approach to the installation and testing of sludge collection technologies in this area. In the first year of the project, the goal was to ensure that sludge collection technologies and supporting infrastructure are fit for purpose in the context of the Åland archipelago.
AQUAPHOENIX: Action Plan in Åland
Partners began by testing specially designed pens and pumping technology, adjusting aspects of the process along the way – including fortifying the cage against strong currents, and adjusting quantities of fish in the pen. These activities and more are laying the groundwork for verifying how much sludge can be gathered most effectively from offshore fish farms and the most effective ways to work.
Testing sludge collection is only the first step. In later stages of the project, AQUAPHOENIX aims to store, dewater and ultimately recycle the sludge collected from Åland fish farms. So far, initial testing has laid the foundation for working towards the objective of managing N+P emissions and enabling sustainable growth for the aquaculture industry.
To address the challenge of sludge management, AQUAPHOENIX partners are developing solutions tailored to local conditions. Fish farms in Åland operate in shallow waters and strong currents, requiring wide, shallow pens specifically designed for effective sludge collection.
In the initial phase of the Åland installation, farmers and industry experts are deploying custom-built cages and assessing how stronger currents affect sludge pumping. This work is laying the foundation for a fitforpurpose system to transport sludge from offshore pens to onshore facilities for treatment and storage.
Given Åland’s distinct conditions, the project has adopted a phased approach. During 2025, the focus was on pilot testing sludge collection technologies and supporting infrastructure suitable for the Åland archipelago. Partners tested specialised pens and pumping systems, making adjustments such as reinforcing cages to withstand currents and optimising fish densities.
In Summer 2026, AQUAPHOENIX partner Brändö Lax – who has been testing and contributing to the optimisation of sludge collection technology in Åland since the initial phase of the project – was granted permission from ÅMHM (Åland Islands Environmental and Health Protection Authority) to increase the amount of fish at their production sites. This permission was specially granted to allow for further development and demonstration of the sludge collection, and reflects the importance of rigorous testing for promising aquaculture solutions.
These activities are helping to determine how sludge can be collected most effectively under real production conditions. In 2026, we are building on this work by storing, dewatering and ultimately recycling sludge from Åland fish farms—supporting reduced nutrient emissions and sustainable growth in aquaculture.
