A company in one of China’s leading seafood producing regions has announced what it claims is the first major installation of a solar panels on a seawater aquaculture facility.
Fangcheng Gang Xi Jiang Energy Co. in Guangxi Province has added 80 megawatts’ worth of panels on the roofs of shrimp sheds in Guangxi province. The rollout of solar panels on aquaculture facilities has been promoted with much vigor in recent years in China as a means for the country to meet its renewable energy targets, while also adding to the profitability of fish farming.
However, promoters of such projects have long shied away from seawater installations, given the corrosion damage to solar panels caused by salt water. The Tongwei Group, a producer of feed and seafood, has been an exception. In recent years, it has been a key promoter of solar-aquaculture projects – something it promotes as a “win-win” strategy to cushion fish farmers from market fluctuations and often-thin margins.
