March | April 2013

Transforming aquaculture production using oxygenation systems

The International magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

International Aquafeed is published six times a year by Perendale Publishers Ltd of the United Kingdom.All data is published in good faith, based on information received, and while every care is taken to prevent inaccuracies, the publishers accept no liability for any errors or omissions or for the consequences of action taken on the basis of information published. ©Copyright 2013 Perendale Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owner. Printed by Perendale Publishers Ltd. ISSN: 1464-0058

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Innovations for a better world.

Bühler AG, Feed & Biomass, CH-9240 Uzwil, Switzerland, T +41 71 955 11 11, F +41 71 955 28 96

fu.buz@buhlergroup.com, www.buhlergroup.com

Fatten up your bottom line. Bühler high-performance animal and aqua feed production

systems are used by leading companies around the world. These producers know they

can rely not just on the technology itself, but also on the support that accompanies it. A

service combining local presence with global expertise both lowers feed mill operating

costs and increases capacity utilization. To find out more, visit www.buhlergroup.com

Aqua_Feed-July_2011.indd 1 28.07.2011 12:23:44

Withdemand forworld foodsupply intensifying year onyear, forecasters predictthat in the not-too-distant

future,theaveragefamilyislikelytofindfishonthedinnerplatefarmorefrequentlythanproteinfromlandrearedanimals.Theworldpopulation needs large supplies of proteinanditcostssignificantlylesstocultivatefish,thantoraiselandanimalssuchascows,pigsandpoultryforslaughter.

This scenario is expected to drive theworld food business into the direction ofaquaculture with increasing momentum inthe years to come. Contemporary trendssupport thisprediction. In thepast50years,globaldemandforfishproductshasdoubledand today nearly halfof the world’s sea-foodcomesnotfromwildcatches,butfromland-based and off-shorefishfarms.

Aquaculture ispoised to intensifyacross theworld,notonly in established fish-producing countrieslikeNorwayandScotland,butalso inChina,Vietnam,India,BrazilandcountriesaroundtheMediterraneanSea.Chile’saquaculturesector,whichwas greatly impacted a fewyears agoby infectious salmon anaemia (ISA), a viraldiseaseaffectingAtlanticsalmon,isalsomak-ingarobustcomeback.

According to projections offered by theFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO)oftheUnitedNations, it isestimatedthattomaintain the current level of per capita fishconsumption, global aquaculture productionwillneedtoreach80milliontonnesby2050.

LindeGases,adivisionofTheLindeGroupandagloballeaderinaquaculturetechnology,has been closely tracking these trends andcontinues to investheavily indeveloping thekindoftechnologyrequiredbothnowandinthefuturetosupporttheexpectedexpansioninworldaquaculture.Lindeanticipatesgrowthintheworldaquacultureindustrybetweensixto eight percent in 2013 alone. This meansfishfarmswillneedtogearuptheiroperationsto be equal to the challengesofmaintainingoptimal fish production conditions, such asappropriatenutrition,diseasepreventionandmostimportantly,maintainingahealthywaterenvironment.

Controlling the concentration of oxygendissolvedinwateriscrucialtothesuccessof

aquaculture.Generallyspeaking,theclosertheoxygenconcentrationistoairsaturation,thebetterwillbetheenvironmentforhealthyandreliablefishgrowth.Maintainingtherightlevelsofoxygen improves feedutilisation, shortensthe growth period, reduces fish mortalityand mitigates the need for vaccination andantibiotics.

From land to seaDepending on the fish species, the most

common approach in today’s aquaculturesector is to grow these fish on land in acontrolled freshwater environment until the

fish grow to weigh about 100 grams, as isthe case with the salmon industry, which isthemostdynamicareaoftheindustryatthemoment.Oncethefishreach100grams,theyare transferred to sea cageswhere they canbegrowntoapproximately4-5kilogramsdur-ingaperiodof14-24months.

The latest advance is amove to growingthe young salmon up to 200 gramson landand the larger fish farming companies agreethat this practice is likely to progress to apointwherethefishareeventuallygrowntofull slaughter size on land. Before this hap-pens, however, themost likely developmentis expected to be an intermediate stagebetweencultivatingthefishonlandandtrans-ferringthemtoseacages,thatinvolvesclosed

systemswhichfloatinthesea.

For technol-ogy partners likeLinde, regardlessofwhetherthefishare being rearedin closed systemson land or in thesea, their task isto ensure that the

oxygenation systems they supply keep pacewiththedynamicsofthechangestheindustryisexperiencing.

This trend towards thinking beyond thetraditional 16 to20metrediameter fresh andsalt water tanks is taking hold in the leadingaquaculture regions and it is likely that tanksasbigas40metresindiameterandbiggerwillbecomea reality.Tosupport this trend,Lindeis focusing on developing technology that willgetthehydrodynamicsrightandensureoxygenisfullydistributedthroughouttheselargetanks.

Aninterestingpotentialbenefitofincreas-ingland-basedaquacultureisthatwhenintro-

Transforming aquaculture production using oxygenation systems by Linde Gases Division, Germany

10 | InternAtIonAl AquAFeed | March-April 2013

FEATURE

March-April 2013 | InternAtIonAl AquAFeed | 11

Volume 16 / Issue 2 / March-April 2013 / © Copyright Perendale Publishers Ltd 2013 / All rights reserved

duced on a large scale it could bring fishproduction to the place where the fish isactuallyconsumed.

The Marine Harvest Group, the world'slargestprivate fishproducer, isbuildingever-largertanks.AtKårstø,Norway,thecompanyhas plans to produce 6,000 tons of salmonper year, onshore, to an average size of 1kilogram, in fish tanks40metres indiameterand10metreshigh,withvolumesofwaterashighas12,000cubicmetres.MarineHarvestalso intends to explore the possibility ofbuildinga landbasedfish farminaquarryatMjølkevikvarden, in Askøy, Norway, wherethe company believes there is potential tobuild a plant big enough to produce 50,000tonsperyearof1kilogramsalmon.

This is equal to 5 percent of the totalbiomass production of salmon and troutin Norway today — currently about 1 mil-lion tons per year. Theoretically, if 20 oftheseplantswhere inoperation today,allofNorway’ssalmonproductiontofullslaughtersize could be accomplished on land. Keyparameters associated with this installationare20,000cubicmetrefishtanks,35metresindiameter.

Pioneering technologyOneof themostpioneering technologies

to be introduced to the industry has beenLinde’s SOLVOX® OxyStream system. The

uniquenessof thetechnology isbasedon itsability to perform three critical functions inonesystem-dissolvingoxygen in thewater,producingthecorrectmarinehydrodynamicsandstrippingoutpotentiallyharmfulnitrogen- and all this via a very low energy require-ment.Thesystemiseasilyinstalled,asanewset-up or as a retrofit to existing fish farmtanks, and is maintenance-free because it isnot associated with any ancillary equipmenttomanagewaterpressure.

SOLVOX® OxyStream significantlyincreases fish production volume, optimisesfish meat quality and considerably improvesoperationsfromanenvironmentalstandpoint.Itisacombinedoxygenationandflowsystemthat not only dissolves the optimal amountof oxygen in the inlet water flow, but alsodistributesitevenlyatanadjustableflowpat-tern throughout the tank, ensuring that thefish stock benefit from the physical exerciseinvolved in swimming against the flow. Theflow regime can be fully tailored accordingto fish size, stock density and fish species,suchassalmonorcod.Thesystemcomprisesa standalone unit, allowing water flow andoxygen dosing to be individually controlledforeachtank.

Themicro-bubblescreatedbySOLVOX®OxyStream create the additional benefit ofhelping to reduce the concentration of dis-solvedinertgasessuchasnitrogen,argonand

carbon dioxide. In particular, oversaturationofnitrogen,eveninrelativelysmallquantities,canendangerthewellbeingoffishstock,slow-ing growth and increasing the possibility ofdisease, and ultimately, even mortality. WiththeinstallationofOxyStream,externaldegas-singunitstopreventinertgasbuild-upwill,inmanycases,becomeobsolete.

Depending on the application, pumpingpressuresas lowas0.05 to0.2bararenor-mally sufficient to oxygenate the incomingwater,stripnitrogenandcreateoptimaltankhydrodynamics. This low operating pressuremakesthesystemveryenergyefficient.

The capabilities of this technology wereproved during trials conducted at a MarineHarvest facility in2011.Results showed thatOxyStreamwastheonlyoxygenationsourcesuitable for rearingyoung salmonhatched intanksrunningonfreshwater,beforegraduallytransitioning them to seawater. This createsan optimum environment in which to rearsalmon, ensuring the correct oxygen levelsthroughouttheentireproductionperiodandkeeping fish stress levels to an absoluteminimum.

Importantly, thetechnologymakes itpos-sible to precisely predict flow velocity andto adjust this velocity in the circular on-landtanks, Depending on their state of matu-rity, fish need a certain water velocity toremainhealthy. If the velocity is not correct,

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FEATURE

Extruder OEE for the Production of Fish FeedExtruder OEE for the Production of Fish Feed

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64 | InternAtIonAl AquAFeed | March-April 2013

fish behaviour and swimming patterns canbecome erratic, utilising more energy andthereforerequiringmorefood.

The global aquaculture industry hasrespondedtotheintroductionofthissystemwith immense interest and the Linde teamcurrentlyhasmanyunitspilotingatcustomersites and has fielded enquiries from NorthAmerica, the UK, Norway, France, Chile,Australia and even from Saudi Arabia andIsrael.

Future developmentsAs larger tanks are being contemplated,

Linde is already investing in future develop-ments and, to this end, in 2012 openeda state-of-the-art Innovation Centre forAquaculture - a pioneeringR&Dand testingunitlocatedatÅlesund,Norway.Thislocationwasspecificallychosenforitsproximitytotheheart of the world's most industrialised fishfarmingcommunity.

Inadditiontohighlyequippedlaboratories,the centre features a number of test and

demonstration aquaculture tanks, the largestof which is 55 cubic metres and has beenbuilt to a highly innovative specification.Thetank allows both aquaculture technologistsandcustomersaliketoobservehowthelatestoxygenation technologies impact fish devel-opment within an optimal on-land farmingenclosure.Inadditiontoanoverheadwalkwayextendingthefulldiameterlengthofthetank,Linde has maximised observational opportu-nities via eye-level inspection windows andunderwaterlighting.

Outside of Norway, development inaquaculture is going on in many othercountries. After being hit by the ISAvirus, the aquaculture industry in Chileis ramping up again with a robust focuson oxygenation technology to supportdisease control. Technology capable ofmaking more oxygen available at lowenergyisalsoattractingattentionincoun-

triesplanningtoexpandtheiraquacultureindustries.

Linde is also doing research into thespecies of fish most likely to be producedin higher volumes in future years.While theexisting salmon industry will continue togrow, indicationsarethatothertypesof fish,particularly those capableofbeingharvestedin warmer water temperatures of about 25to30degreesCelsius,willcometothefore.

In fact, a research team at the newLinde Innovation Centre for Aquaculture issimulating conditions in tropical areas, bothforfishcultivatedinfreshandsaltwater.Thisis expected to pave the way for Linde todevelop technology surpassing current state-of-the-artsystemsinthisarena.

Broader technologies Linde’s existing aquaculture offering, fea-

turing broader technologies and products,willcontinuetoplayaroleintheforeseeablefuture. Each facility, type of water and fishcrophasdifferentrequirementswhichcanbe

met,incombination,byelementsdrawnfromanentireproductfamily.Someofthisequip-ment isdedicated to saltwaterand some isoptimalforfreshwaterfishfarming.

With 50 years of experience in aquacul-ture,Lindehasaccumulatedtheexpertisetoidentifytherighttypeofequipmentforeachcustomer’suniquerequirementsviathemostcost effective solution — minimum use ofoxygenandenergy.

In addition to SOLVOX® OxyStream,Linde’s SOLVOX® technology line offers awide range of oxygenation systems for theaquaculture industry, comprising equipmentforoptimiseddissolutionofoxygen inwater,perfect distribution of oxygenated water tothefishandaregulationconceptforsmoothandreliableoperation.

SOLVOX®Stream creates a better tankenvironment and improves the wellbeing offarmed fish. It provides good tank hydraulics

andevenoxygendistributionthroughoutthewater volume. This makes the fish spreadout throughout the entire water volume.Comprising of a slot tube with water flowindicator, SOLVOX® Stream ensures thatoxygenated water is homogenously distrib-utedoverthecompletedepthofthetank.Itisalsodesignedtoachieveanoptimalcircula-tionspeedinthefishtank,appropriatetothefish species and size. SOLVOX®Stream isusedincombinationwithoxygenationequip-mentsuchasSOLVOX®A,guaranteeingthatthe required environmental conditions, interms of hydraulics and oxygen concentra-tion, can be set individually for each tank.SOLVOX®Stream can be customised forflow rates ranging from50 litres perminuteto20,000litresperminuteandanimportantfeature is thewater flow indicatorthathelpscontrol water flow into each tank and opti-miseswaterusage.

SOLVOX®C, a pressure dissolver forseawater and fresh water, comprises conesdesigned to increase the concentration ofgases in water to a high level. In standardoperation, gas transfer efficiency is closeto 100 percent. Since the cones can beoperatedatelevatedpressure,thedissolvedoxygen concentration canbe increased sig-nificantlyabovesaturation.SOLVOX®CVisanadditionaloption toboost theoxygena-tion capacity of the cones, allowing up to50 percent higher oxygen dosing withoutincreasing the water flow rate or energyconsumption.

SOLVOX®B is widely used as anemergency oxygenation system because itrequiresnoauxiliaryenergyandsupportsthelifeofthefishintheeventofasystemfailure.Operationalenergyisprovidedsolelybytheoxygentankpressure.

Linde’sSOLVOX®CDceramicdiffuserisahigh-performance,aluminium-housedoxy-gen dissolving system that ensures uniform

bubbles across the entire surface and mini-mises bubble coalescence. It is also suitablefordissolvingoxygen intoshallowtankswithwater depths of less than 1 metre. Its mainfield of application is to provide additionaloxygento individual tanksandraceways,butit is also frequently installed for emergencyoxygensupply.

Fish grow best at a constant oxygenlevel in the water, but the oxygen con-sumptionoffishvarieswithstockingden-sity, feeding regime, activity status, tem-peratureetc.Inordertokeeptheoxygenlevel as constant as possible, differentamounts of oxygen have to be providedatdifferenttimes.TheSOLVOX®Foxygendosingcabinet isdesignedtoachievethissafelyandreliably. ■

More InforMatIon:Website: www.linde-gas.com

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Transforming aquaculture production using

oxygenation systems

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Towards aquafeeds with increased food security

Bioenergetics – application in aquaculture nutrition

Volume 16 I s sue 2 2 013 - mARCH | APR I l

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