TECHNOLOGY

AN INNOVATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION

Open pen aquaculture takes place in natural waterways, creating a direct interaction between industry and environment. Typically, the waste from open pen aquaculture (in the form of fish feed and faecal matter) is partially dissolved and dispersed in the open water. If environmental monitoring shows unacceptable emissions, farmers must limit or cease production to reduce pollution. To simultaneously grow the industry and reduce pollution, a novel approach is needed.

Since 2012, LiftUp (a subsidiary of Framo) has been developing sludge collection technologies to collect waste from open pen fish farming. Fine mesh nets are fitted with an intake and pumping unit, then placed at the bottom of the pen to capture faeces and unconsumed feed. This effectively prevents vast quantities of waste from entering the surrounding area, storing sludge for downstream processing and transformation into sustainable assets like clean energy.

This technology has the potential to significantly impact the aquaculture industry and circular economy: enabling the possibility of increased production while reducing emissions and generating new resources.

TESTING SITES

Sludge collection technologies can be flexibly integrated into existing fish farms and used in multiple contexts. In the initial stages of the AQUAPHOENIX project, partners will continue to refine this technology using existing site infrastructure. Looking ahead, the technology can be incorporated into future designs and integrated solutions.

Sludge collection has already been piloted at several Norwegian salmon farms to validate its efficiency, security and ease of use. Before fully introducing it to the market, further testing is needed to scale up performance. AQUAPHOENIX partners will test sludge collection technology across regions, nations and seas with varied environmental and production characteristics. We will demonstrate and optimise this technology in fully operational commercial fish farms in Norway and Finland, laying the groundwork for the enhancement and distribution of this technology on a major scale.