Page 18 - AWA Vol. 42-No.2 issue

FiSHERiES

Starting pilot test of UVCuro
The new UVCuro purification unit will HMI facing the feed barge.
be tested in continuous operation at a - For pilot customers, this means that
pilot customer to gather operational ex- treatment can be controlled directly
perience and document its effectiveness from the edge of the pen and the feed
over time. barge, where operators can start and
This is a big step in the right direction. stop the cleaning cycle and adjust the
Together with our pilot customer, we are pump speed and UV intensity. The con-
now testing the technology under real trol system will of course have additional
operating conditions, says Smir project functions in the commercial version, says
manager Martin Eikrem. Eikrem.
The cleaning unit is part of Smir's new Collaboration with NTNU
water treatment system, designed to Throughout the development process,
clean the upper water layer in fish farm- cient system in the cage environment. Smir has collaborated with researchers
ing pens of lice larvae using UVC LED from NTNU through Taskforce Lakselus
light. The system will now be tested in con-
tinuous operation over a longer period in — a comprehensive research program
- Our ambition is that this solution will normal production. established in collaboration between the
contribute to improved fish welfare by "In this phase, it's all about functionality. university and the aquaculture industry.
neutralizing the lice larvae before they We will closely monitor developments in The purpose of Taskforce Salmon Lice is
reach the fish and can develop further.
the facility throughout the entire operat- to establish basic knowledge about how
Energy efficient ing period to determine how continuous salmon lice infest farmed salmon and the
According to Eikrem, the operational treatment of the water layer with UVC mechanisms by which parasites spread
perspective has been central to the de- LED light affects the lice situation over within and between farmed and wild
velopment of the solution. time," he says. populations of salmonids.
- The technology is designed for con- Can be controlled from the edge of In experimental setups, researchers
tinuous operation with a long service life the pen have observed that exposing lice larvae
and minimal maintenance, ensuring that The pilot installationincludes Smir's to UVC LED light reduces their ability to
daily production is affected as little as water treatment system combined with infect fish and impairs their development
possible. a skirt around the pen, where the water into mobile stages.
He also points out the energy advan- in the upper layer of the pen is pumped The research project with NTNU has
tage: through the system where it is UV irradi- been crucial in understanding the mech-
- The LED panels we have developed ated before being returned to the pen. anisms behind this. Their results give us
use very little energy compared to tra- The pilot also comes with a user inter- academic weight, while the pilot phase
ditional UV lamps, thereby providing the face with a touch screen on the edge of will give us experience in ordinary oper-
conditions for installing an energy-effi- the pen in its own cabinet, as well as an ations, explains Eikrem. Circle 19 on enquiry card

Xelect Welcomes Habitat as a New
Genetics Partner for Coho (Silver) Salmon

Xelect is pleased to announce a new circular and resource efficient production Through its partnership with Xelect,
partnership with Habitat, an innovative platform. Habitat aims to strengthen and future
aquaculture company focused on devel- Habitat has made encouraging early proof its genetics platform by integrating
oping next-generation, land-based sys- progress, while recognising that sig- all existing genetics into a single, cohe-
tems for salmon. nificant work remains as the business sive nucleus, supporting efficient multi-
Under this collaboration, Xelect will continues to develop and scale. As part plier group production Xelect’s expertise
work with Habitat to deliver a bespoke of its growth strategy, Habitat is actively in aquatic breeding programme design,
breeding programme, supporting Habi- seeking a new location for an expanded nucleus–multiplier structures, and long
tat’s long term vision for sustainable, land broodstock facility, with the goal of sup- term genetic strategy will support Habi-
based aquaculture. plying year-round, all female, disease tat as it works towards these goals.
free eggs from its land based broodstock This collaboration reflects a shared
Founded in 2017, with its first production
batch in 2018, Habitat has built its oper- sites. commitment to innovation, sustainability,
ations around a strong research and de- “This partnership strengthens our com- and science led aquaculture. Xelect looks
velopment focus, alongside commercial mitment to helping innovative land based forward to working closely with the Habi-
fish sales. The company is pioneering the producers like Habitat build world class tat team as they continue to build a robust
integration of recirculating aquaculture genetics platforms.” land based production platform for coho
systems (RAS) with nutrient capture for – Dr Marie Smedley, Global Head of Xe- salmon.
agricultural use, aiming to create a more lect Circle 20 on enquiry card
16 Vol. 42 No. 2