Iani A. CHIHAIA’s Post

New research will help identify the opportunities and challenges associated with co-located offshore wind and aquaculture.

Aquaculture. And floating wind. What’s the skinny?  Here’s a hot take on offshore wind and aquaculture for your Friday afternoon musings. 🐟What's the Latest in Ocean Co-use?    On Dec. 5, two proposals won a combined $750M in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding to study whether co-locating aquaculture and floating offshore wind can increase the viability of ocean co-use for both technologies.  Boston University, together with the University of Maine, Xodus, and Kelson Marine Co., will study the techno-economic, social, and environmental opportunities and challenges associated with nine co-located offshore wind and aquaculture technology projects. And in a separate study, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) will assist scaling measures by testing whether market economic assumptions will support co-location policies for offshore wind and aquaculture in California. These studies align with current market realities for floating offshore wind platforms, which will be necessary in the Gulf of Maine and offshore California, where deep-water project sites make existing fixed-bottom wind turbine technologies infeasible. And if the studies are successful, they can demonstrate an opportunity for the fishing and offshore wind industries to collaborate and that will have no operational impact on land or freshwater resources. 🌊 Aquaculture Shallow Dive   If aquaculture isn’t part of your regular dinner table chat, let’s take a quick look at the industry for reference. Aquaculture is the potentially sustainable rearing of fish in pens deployed throughout coastal or deep waters, with early work focused on coastal zones. The trend, however, is to move aquaculture practices offshore, where floating or submersible pens and cages can be attached to the seabed or buoys. These offshore operations, however, would rely on an offshore power resource, making wave energy converters or floating turbines ideal infrastructure companions. Looking for a Deep Dive? Check out: Powering the Blue Economy - Exploring Opportunities for Marine Renewable Energy in Maritime Markets https://shorturl.at/Sm4YR In the BU and Cal Poly opportunities funded by DOE, researchers will focus on offshore marine aquaculture and floating wind. 🔍What the OffWoff? There is a study, like the ones planned by BU and Cal Poly, currently underway for the 2.5 GW Mareld offshore wind farm off the coast of southern Sweden. A public-private partnership is funding the so-called OffWoff (i.e., Offshore Floating Wind and Offshore Fish Farms) co-location project to determine whether they can turn the planned Mareld facility into a hub for sustainable aquaculture. The project partners say they will place fish farms between the floating turbine foundations, with 12 submerged cages capable of rearing around 6,000 tons of fish per year. If you want more updates about offshore wind, visit ne4osw.org for webinars, news, and industry intel.  

Co-locating offshore renewable farms with endavours like aqua farming is a great way to utilize the resources and share the costs.

Wave Energy Converters Could Be Clean Power Solution for Offshore Aquaculture Farms In 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Teamer program. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and directed by the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, TEAMER allows developers to partner with academic institutions, national and private research laboratories, and private companies in the Facility Network to test and refine new #marineenergy devices. This opportunity for testing is essential for companies like E-Wave Technologies. Over the course of five rounds of technical support, TEAMER supplemented funding from the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program and helped E-Wave develop a wave energy converter (WEC) from concept to test-validated device. The E-Wave WEC is designed to power offshore #aquaculture farms with clean and affordable energy, and E-Wave is now advancing it toward commercialization. Among the offshore aquaculture industry: high operational costs. Fish farms can be 10 miles or more from the nearest accessible port and staff have to travel that distance daily by boat to feed the fish. Between travel costs, generators, and #fishfeeding systems, the #offshoreaquaculture industry relies heavily on #diesel energy. Power-related costs add up quickly. E-Wave had a solution: Instead of moving people back and forth every day and using large amounts of diesel, why not create a WEC that can power feeding systems automatically? E-Wave applied for and received funding from the STTR program to work with offshore aquaculture company Innovasea Systems in Boston, and Virginia Tech. The team designed a 35-kilowatt “flap-style” WEC that can automatically power the feeding and monitoring systems of the Open Blue #fishfarm, which is the world's largest offshore aquaculture farm, with reduced costs and minimized environmental impacts. E-Wave's WEC captures energy through two floating, hinged flaps that respond to the rise and fall of waves. When the flap rotates downward, it pulls a winch that drives a generator to produce electricity. https://lnkd.in/dxZPRK4E #energy #cleanenergy

AKVA Group and Inseanergy eye floating solar energy for Chilean aquaculture Producer of equipment for the farming industry, AKVA Group, has established a partnership with Norwegian floating solar company Inseanergy to use floating #solarenergy to operate #fishfarming operations in Chile. According to AKVA group, the partnership focuses on the shift from fossil fuels to solar energy, decreasing fossil fuel consumption. This signifies a commitment to environmental responsibility and creates opportunities in locations previously considered challenging due to reliance on gas tanks or diesel, reducing the fossil footprint. “This is good for the environment and aligns perfectly with the industry’s shift towards sustainability. Chile’s solar energy potential is particularly promising for the aquaculture industry, and we are excited to explore this further,” said Christian Gerardo Schäfer Oyanedel, General Manager of AKVA group Chile. By partnering with Inseanergy and Kvernaland Energi, the AKVA group embraces low-emission and deep-farming technologies. The initiative is said to focus on precision farming with minimal emissions, utilizing advanced hybrid battery systems, solar power plants, software, and control systems tailored for sustainable aquaculture. “Sustainability is part of AKVA group’s culture and DNA. It is part of the solutions and products we sell and buy, as well as a driving force behind innovation. The goal is to achieve better cost-effective and sustainable operations,” said Alejandro Schafer Oyanedel. “This is a system of floating solar energy production that generates 100 % emission-free green energy. The solar power plant will work as a “floating generator” being able to produce as much as 290 pKwh. In combination with a battery pack and water feeding, we can reduce the running time of the diesel generator by up to 90 % on a typical fish farm.” https://lnkd.in/exQxgqyG #aquaculture #energy

Love seeing more research and investment in Agrivoltaics. This is essentially combining solar energy installations with cattle grazing operations. This combo helps preserve agricultural land and traditions; benefits cattle health; generates additional income for ranchers, farmers, and landowners; eases barriers to solar energy deployment while helping decarbonize the grid. Here's info Dept. of Ag "Lasso Prize." The $8.2 million Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize is an opportunity for stakeholder groups to develop and deploy solar cattle grazing by building pilot sites and sharing info on leading practices, costs, and energy and agricultural outcomes. Applications for Phase 1 of the prize are due on Mar. 6, 2025. #USDA #energy #ruraldevelopment #ruralcommunities #agrivoltaics #solar #cleanenergy

Using Solar Energy in Aquaculture: All You Need To Know Discover how solar energy is transforming fish farming by reducing costs and environmental impact. The Basics of Solar Energy in Aquaculture Learn how solar panels power essential aquaculture operations like pumps and aerators. Why Solar Energy? - Cost Savings: Cut down on electricity bills. - Environmental Impact: Lower your carbon footprint. - Energy Independence: Operate off-grid reliably. - Longevity and Reliability: Durable and long-lasting systems. Key Components of a Solar-Powered Aquaculture System Understand the role of solar panels, inverters, batteries, charge controllers, and monitoring systems. Implementing Solar Energy in Aquaculture Steps to integrate solar energy: assessing energy needs, designing the system, installation, and maintenance. Benefits Beyond Cost Savings - Improved Water Quality: Enhanced oxygenation and water circulation. - Scalability: Suitable for any size operation. - Government Incentives: Potential financial support for renewable energy adoption. Challenges and Considerations Explore the initial investment, weather dependency, space requirements, and need for technical expertise. Future Prospects Exciting innovations and advancements making solar-powered aquaculture more accessible and efficient. Conclusion Solar energy in aquaculture is a sustainable and cost-effective game-changer. Click to read the full article below https://lnkd.in/ebUBV_pS #fishfarming #aquaculture #solarenergy #sustainablefarmingpracticies

# RNG #farming #agriculture #wasteManagement #SDG #anaerobicdigesters Major greenhouse gas emissions come from farming and agriculture, with Waste Management being a crucial Sustainable Development Goal. Anaerobic digesters present a promising solution. Hoping the upcoming #IndiaFinMin allocates a significant amount to address this issue. Kudos to South Fork Dairy in Texas for their recent strides in this area! Link: https://lnkd.in/diVQ2Pzi

How do we power offshore aquaculture? These offshore fish farms can be 10 miles (or more!) from the nearest accessible port, As such staff must embark on journeys to feed the fish and care for the farm at least twice a day. Between travel, generators, and fish feed systems, the industry is currently very reliant on diesel fuel. But what if it didn’t have to be? E-Wave, in partnership with an offshore aquaculture company called Innovasea Systems, has been developing a wave energy converter that can power feeding systems automatically⚡. See how this idea can work in practice and how it may help enable a clean energy future. https://lnkd.in/e-fw-SDQ  

I am thrilled to share the positive findings from the AOEG-led, FRDC-funded ‘AquaGrid’ feasibility study confirming the potential viability of ocean energy microgrids to power coastal aquaculture production and drive decarbonization in the sector. It was a truly rewarding initiative made possible by a fantastic team! Also, special thanks to ClimateKIC Australia for their ongoing support. A copy of the final report can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gwKGbxPu