Purecod, a Norwegian Atlantic cod-farming firm, has signed a contract with Blue Ocean Technology for a "plug and farm" sludge- and water-treatment facility.
The new technology will help Purecod capture and reuse the sludge produced by its farming operations, it said in a press release.
“Sludge collection and reuse is one of the most-important benefits of farming in closed cages at sea. And having the right equipment is a critical success factor,” Purecod CEO Mikael Rønes said. “Blue Ocean Technology offers a solution that fits like a glove to our mode of operation. It will enable us to drain sludge efficiently, and with low energy consumption.”
Each containerized system can dewater and handle sludge from up to 2,500 metric tons (MT) of feed per year, and several systems can be connected together alongside the fish pens to provide flexibility as production increases.
According to Blue Ocean Technology CEO Hans Runshaug, the idea for producing more-compact, more-efficient sludge-treatment plants – which have significantly lower power consumption than other systems available on the market – came from decades of experience in the oil industry, combined with a knowledge of aquaculture.
“This is a pioneering facility in closed-cage aquaculture at sea, with full control of all discharges and the entire value chain,” Runshaug said. “We are delivering a fully integrated plant on a feed barge for the first time. Also for the first time ever, sludge from cod farming can be utilized as a resource.”
Purecod, which operates double-barrier closed pens in Storfjorden on the west coast of Norway, received its first license in March 2022 for a maximum standing biomass of 3,120 MT, which is equivalent to an annualized production capacity of 5,000 MT per year. The closed pens have been designed and developed by its sister company, Closedpen AS.
Photo courtesy of Blue Ocean Technology
