Scottish Sea Farms’ new GBP 58 million (USD 80.5 million, EUR 67.6 million) Barcaldine Hatchery near Oban in Argyll and Bute has been commended by the U.K. Government Minister for Scotland David Duguid for its use of green energy and for its deployment of resource and waste saving solutions.
Hosted by the salmon grower and green energy partner AMP Clean Energy, Duguid and senior figures from Scottish Renewables were given a tour of the hatchery on 17 June.
Among the technologies in operation are the facility’s 600-kilowatt biomass energy system. Owned, installed, and maintained by AMP Clean Energy, the system uses locally-sourced, sustainably-managed wood chips to provide the 17,500 square meter building with much of its heat and hot water, saving 683 metric tons (MT) of carbon a year compared with using oil.
The visitors also saw the facility’s recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). The system circulates, cleans, and recirculates up to 98 percent of the freshwater used per day, equating to a saving of over 20-times the freshwater consumption of conventional hatchery methods. It also captures waste materials from the growing cycle for treatment and re-purposing as nutrient-rich agricultural fertilizer to aid crop development
The building also houses motion-sensor internal lighting and wind and solar powered external lighting, with provisions for a hydro scheme so that the hatchery can generate more green energy.
“I’ve been so impressed at the green approach of this state-of-the-art facility. Scottish Sea Farms’ water-saving and waste-recycling measures, coupled with the use of AMP Clean Energy’s environmentally-sound biomass heating system, prove that it is possible to forge ahead in innovation to sustain the sector while still meeting our net zero objectives,” Duguid said. “The U.K. government has ambitious climate commitments and it’s by embracing measures such as these and accelerating decarbonization that industry will be future-proofed to protect and create jobs.”
Scottish Sea Farms Head of Sustainability Anne Anderson said the savings at the facility are just a part of the company’s overall efforts.
“Like any food producer, we’re working hard to minimize any impact from our activities on the environment, not just via our new Barcaldine Hatchery but across the business: from our marine farms to our processing and packing facilities, through to essential support services such as IT and logistics,” Anderson said.
AMP Clean Energy’s Head of Asset Services Bruno Berardelli said the new low carbon heat installation at the Barcaldine Hatchery is a “perfect example” of how biomass heat can support net zero food production.
“It is a truly local project too, taking advantage of locally sourced wood chip and supported by the expert team at our Fort William office,” he said.
The ministerial tour also visited the hydro-electric Cruachan Power Station and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, and had a meeting with representatives of the Community Inshore Fisheries Alliance, Clyde Fishermen's Association and Fishermen's Trust Infrastructure Project.
Photo courtesy of Scottish Sea Farms
