Jennifer Delony’s Post

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

This huge floating offshore wind project will marry up with a sustainable fish farm A 2.5 gigawatt (GW) Swedish floating offshore wind farm is going to be paired with an innovative sustainable fish farming system. Floating offshore wind and fish farming Sweden-based Freja Offshore, a joint venture between floating offshore wind developer Hexicon and Mainstream Renewable Power, is developing Mareld, an enormous floating offshore #windfarm off Sweden’s west coast. And Freja Offshore is now collaborating with Norway’s SubFarm, which produces open-ocean aquaculture cage systems for sustainable fisheries, on the Mareld project. SubFarm’s aquaculture cages will be situated between Mareld’s floating wind turbine foundations and tethered with their own anchoring system. The cages, which can withstand harsh North Sea conditions, will be lowered to a depth of 50–70 meters (164-230 feet) and brought to the surface for harvesting. SubFarm’s system can be monitored remotely. https://lnkd.in/dK-Bg7kt #aquaculture #fishfarming #aquacultureinnovation #renewableenergy

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

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

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 T𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 p𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐑𝐃𝐂-𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 ‘𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐝’ 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫. As the key ocean energy partner, AZURA Ocean Technology partnered with Australian Ocean Energy Group, Deloitte Climate & Sustainability, Emissions Solutions, Syncline Energy Pty Ltd, and aquaculture industry partner Ocean Road Abalone | Southern Ocean Mariculture to undertake a study that contributed to the key goals of FRDC - Fisheries Research and Development Corporation's 2020-2025 Research, Development & Extension Plans to investigate “ the development of scalable alternative energy solutions for aquaculture” Based on the findings of the feasibility study, Ocean Road Abalone | Southern Ocean Mariculture has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Azura as its technology supplier to implement the first scenario, with two 100kW wave units, which could be scaled up at a later date. It’s a plan that meets the company’s commitment to reduce its emissions as quickly as it can, securing sources of perpetual, reliable, affordable, secure and low-risk clean energy.  For a copy of the full report or to find out more contact Michael Byrne mbyrne@azuraoceantech.com Director AZURA Ocean Technology #AquaGrid #Oceanenergy #SustainableAquaculture #Decarbonisation #InnovationAquaculture #EnergyTransition #EmmissionReduction #BlueEconomy #WaveEnergy #PositiveImpact https://lnkd.in/guEFFqTN

Partnership Trials Fish Farms in a Swedish Offshore Wind Project As demand for coastal space is rising for a variety of uses, multi-use projects in offshore areas offer a novel solution. In the latest example, Freja Offshore, a joint venture between Hexicon and Mainstream Renewable Power, has teamed up with the Norwegian company SubFarm to enable fish farming within the MARELD landskapsarkitekter AB offshore wind farm. The site is a proposed 2.5 GW floating wind farm in the North Sea, 25 miles off the coast of Lysekil in Sweden. Lysekil Municipality, the research institute UNEP-DHI Centre on Water and Environment Norway’s Blue Maritime Cluster will also participate in the new project at Mareld site. According to Freja, this project aims to showcase that generation of offshore wind power could coexist with other important coastal interests, including the fishing industry and sea-based food production. Previous studies have shown that offshore wind farms could act as artificial reefs and marine protected areas. This helps to attract fish and other marine biodiversity, which is a great benefit for ocean conservation. Additionally, offshore wind farms limit passage of large fishing vessels, presenting a good opportunity for fish farming. “Seafood and offshore wind power are two industries that Sweden will need more of in the future, and the least needed is to strengthen preparedness. That is why we want to find ways to combine these two pieces,” said Magnus Hallman, CEO of Freja Offshore. https://lnkd.in/d_Gg8g4D #fishfarming #aquaculture

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

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

Seafood Industry gives guarded welcome to Future Framework Policy Statement for Offshore Renewable Energy Responding to the recent publication of an updated Future Framework Policy Statement for Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE), the Seafood Industry Representatives’ Forum (SIRF) today acknowledged the consultation process undertaken by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, and welcomed important changes made to the draft policy first published in January this year. These changes have partially taken account of submissions made by the sector. The Seafood Industry Representatives Forum (SIRF) is a collective of eight Irish fishing and aquaculture industry representative organisations, formed to deal with the issues associated with ORE development and its impacts on the seafood sector. https://lnkd.in/gpzeS_HA