Industrial-scale aquaponics- real aquaponics?RAS vs double RAS in aquaponics food production
BIGH Anderlecht
Inagro - Kick off project Aquavlan2
31th May 2017
BIGH Building Integrated GreenHouses
Urban surface as a high valuable ressource: Greenhouse integration
Uptake of urban discharges: CO2, heat, rainwater, organic waste
High visibility and transparency
Local production, local consumption
High valuable farming for high valuable products
Urban aquaponic farming by BIGH
2000 m2 outdoor garden + 2000 m2 aquaponics greenhouse production:
Fish stripped bass 40t/year
Cherry tomatoes 16,5t/year
Herbs 572 000 units/year
Microgreens 10 000 trays/year
Mescluns 6000 kg/year
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BIGH Anderlecht Abattoir site
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Total rooftop 4000 m2 including:2000 m2 greenhouse incl. mezzanine / 2000 m2 productive garden
Juvenile plants Aquaculture Growing tables
BIGH Anderlecht Abattoir site
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OUTDOOR
GARDEN
2000 m2
AQUAPONIC
GREENHOUSE
2000 m2
(including
mezzanine 550m2)
RESTAURANT
BIGH Anderlecht Abattoir site
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BIGH Anderlecht - Aquaponic greenhouse
BIGH - Aquaponic greenhouse
Growing fish and plants together in one integrated system. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the plants, and the plants naturally filter the water for the fish (The Aquaponics Source)
Combining conventional aquaculture (snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environmentWater from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system
Nitrates are utilized by the plants as nutrients
water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system
(Wikipedia)
BIGH Aquaponics definitions
Mayas, Aztecs, Asia 1000 BC: crop grow better when fish are present
Modern times:1. Backyard aquaponics
2. RAS Fish farmers want to filter their recirculating water
3. Commercial aquaponics farms still in the beginning
BIGH Aquaponics history
RAS = the only real aquaponics? Adapting fish to the crops, scaling the plant for the fish
Pursuit of compromizes
Technics before economics
Optimizing for one or for both?
Critics The most expansive irrigation water of the world
Crops in alkaline water, fish in fertilized water?
More sustainable?
Control
Economical reality
BIGH Aquaponics as an industrial production system
Double RAS system
Optimization for the fishand the crops Technically
Economically
Sustainability
BIGH Reconsidering aquaponics
Double RAS = improved aquaponics? Create a system where both cultures can be favorized.
Create a system where both cultures can be economically viable, even independantly.
Flexibility, control, sustainability
BIGH Reconsidering aquaponics
Horticultural world not yet ready Old manners are the best proven
Unconventional thoughts
Unconventional scales (high costs for low surface)
Fish farming world
(Belgian?) Legislation lack Aquaponics legislation?
Urban agricultural wastes
Financing an aquaponics farm Lack of farming subsidies in Bxl
Investors lack of confidence in (modern) agriculture
BIGH start-up challenges
Start of building site in June 2017
Farm opening: January 2018
Outdoor garden in construction & test
BIGH almost there
And see you at the farm opening!
BIGH thanks you!
