Floating closed containment systems (FCCS) are closed production units for fish. These are physically separated from the surrounding aquatic environment and have defined inlets and outlets for water exchange. This provides a strong foundation for controlling discharges to the external environment and, consequently, environmental impacts.
Both technology providers and fish farmers are therefore particularly interested in the possibilities for sludge collection from FCCS, and what this may mean for operations and production within existing and upcoming regulations. The industry sees specific value in increased knowledge regarding the potential and need for sludge collection.
The project shall:
- Map existing solutions for sludge collection from FCCS. This covers technical functionality, maturity, practical limitations, operational experience, safety, and documented performance.
- Conduct independent measurements of sludge content and collection during normal operation of FCCS.
- Map the potential for collection and investigate how costs vary with collection efficiency for a selection of technical setups.
- Describe the significance of sludge collection for site location, impact on the external environment, and the need for fallowing.
The work includes interviews, field studies, document analysis, sampling, and modelling. The project is led by SINTEF Ocean and carried out in collaboration with Nofima, NIVA, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (VI), NCE Aquaculture, and Blue Planet, in addition to a number of engaged industry partners.
