FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY #2Efficient and reliable feed system for fish farming operations - AKVA Group Feed Barges

AKVA group is an international company with offices in a proud total of nine countries including their head office in Bryne, Switzerland. AKVA is the leading supplier of feed barges and has an impressive range of steel barges. The feed barges that they offer are suitable for a wide range of sites and climates; including inshore, offshore, arctic and tropical areas.

There are more than 20 standard barge models in AKVA’s Wavemaster product portfolio, but there is really no such thing as a typical AKVA group barge. Each barge is tailored to the needs of the customer, and the barge team in AKVA group takes great pride in their ability to be flexible and solution

oriented.According to Andres Lara, Barge Manager “AKVA group are experienced in producing high quality

barges, but at the end of the day it is the fish farmers who are out there working day in day out.” Adding that “this is why we work so closely with our customers in the design process, because the customer really does know best what is important to them.”

During the planning phase of development, AKVA investigate the intended location of use thoroughly to ensure that the needs of the customer are met with the barge that they eventually. If the barges are going to be exposed to a harsh environment for example, then the structural requirements and balance will be carefully adjusted accordingly. Although they do their best to cater customer needs, no compromises are made when it comes to calculations and structural design.

All of AKVA’s barges are certified in accordance with the Norwegian standard NS9415 2009. But even with the strictest certification demands, AKVA group aim to be as flexible as possible within realistic structural and financial limits, this is something that they pride themselves on. “Although we are known to be flexible we always make sure all safety aspects are well taken care of and that all certification criteria’s are met.” Mr Lara added.

All of the latest Wavemaster models are able to provide for the full spectrum of economic efficiency and to a wide range of cage farming operations, with sizes ranging from 96 to 850 metric tons. These barges also include the latest innovations in efficient feed handling, storage, logistics and personnel comforts to ensure a functional and safe farm base for the crew.

The barges are delivered complete, fully self-contained with Akvasmart CCS Feed Systems, generator or generators, control room, living quarters, safety equipment and all other optional equipment installed, such

The main purpose of a feed barge is to provide an efficient

and reliable feed system for fish

farming operations. The second purpose

is to provide a safe worksite for operators.

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FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

as integrated mort silage systems, camera and sensor systems. However, the giant Wavemaster 850 Panorama is in a league of its own.

The Wavemaster AC 850 Panorama is the world’s largest steel feed barge, with a holding capacity of 850 tons salmon feed and up to 12 parallel feeding lines. The advanced feeding system and storage capacity is usually the main reason why customers invest in this kind of feed barge.

However impressive a feeding capacity of 850 tons of feed may seem the barge’s storage can be depleted in as short as one week. At which point a ship is required to refill the silos. Feed accounts for around 70 percent of the

production cost in salmon farming, so feeding correctly is number one priority.

These barges are truly a testimony of the scale and complexity of modern aquaculture operations.

The 850 Panorama barge has 16 integrated silos with the capacity to store 850 tons of feed. 16 parallel feed lines are used in a ‘4 x Quattro system’ to distribute feed to the cages. Sometimes the feed travels up to 200 m before it is dispensed. This is achieved by using powerful air blowers.

Additionally, the blowers move air through cooling channels to prevent overheating. A cleaning plug injector is used to clean the pipes and make sure operations run smoothly. The Akvasmart CCS has been the world’s

best selling feed system, for both land based and cage operations over the past 30 years.

The latest and fully spec’d 850 Panorama barge to Marine Harvest is a state-of-the-art barge, built upon AC 850 Panorama standard but designed and customised in close cooperation with Marine Harvest to fully match their requirements.

The barge is now in operations in Mid Norway, on a site with a production capacity up to 7 200 tons of salmon with plans to expand. No question the feed system is of vital importance to a site of this size.

Tore Obrestad, Technical Manager at AKVA group confirms that the AC 850 Panorama feed barge has

impressive specifications. “This barge has a feeding capacity of well over 150 tons per day and a superior quality feed system to go along with it. This is required for larger sites; like the one in mid Norway”.

High feed storage capacity, advanced on-board control systems for all the machinery and technology are central features for Marine Harvest. However, the feeding system is by far the most important feature for them, operations Manager in Marine Harvest, Torbjørn Skjervøy stated, according to an article released in AKVANEWS, AKVA groups own news magazine.

“A large scale operation like this also require precise process control in all aspect of the production, especially feeding, so this barge is delivered with the latest version

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of AKVA connect to help them maintain full operational control,” he continues.

Operational Control: AKVAconnect is a process control platform with a system

that is designed to give the farm staff with a full overview as well as control of all aspects of the operations through different modules. Whether this is RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture Systems), water treatment for land locked farms, or camera and feeding control at cage farms. AKVAconnect is fully scalable and therefore suitable for all types of farm facilities, from the smallest local farmers, to the larger multinational aquaculture corporations.

The video cameras on the farm sites continuously monitor and transmit images to the control room. The operators can then monitor the status of all the cages (controlling both underwater and surface cameras) as well as all other important areas of the farms and feed barges. This frees up

resources, increases efficiency and profitability; with the feed remaining the biggest part of production costs.

Water quality parameters such as oxygen, temperature and current are the most important factors that affect the feeding in commercial fish farming. Overfeeding leads to feed waste, possible pollution of the seabed and of course, poor feed conversion rate (FCR). Underfeeding also leads to poor FCR, as well as poor specific growth rate (SGR), and prolonged production time. All of the above are directly linked with overall profitability. With good enough broadband you can actually sit anywhere in the world and feed your fish, explains Obrestad.

So far, the released modules of AKVAconnect are AKVA connect camera, AKVA connect feeding, AKVA connect environment and AKVA connect barge control. “We are continuously working to further develop and improve the software and add more modules and functions.” Tore Obrestad added. AKVA connect Barge Control is the latest release.

This module was released during Aqua Nor 2015 and allows the operator access to online feed levels for each

silo, as well as remote control of the silo hatches; thus allowing feed loading without staff onboard the barge.

It is also possible to have tablets built into the wall, with these tablets connected to the same AKVAconnect system as the control room computers the operators are afforded remote access to much of the same information and controls. This allows those on board to move around the barge without losing control of the operations. With this set up, it would be possible to operate the entire barge with just one highly skilled technician on board.

Centralized Feeding: The challenge for a larger fish farming company is to

attract enough skilled and specialised staff that can feed the fish correctly and consistently at several different sites. Every day of the year and according to the company’s best practice experience. With this new technology, 4-5

such specialists can feed 20 different sites from one location/control room.

With all the different modules and possibilities within AKVAconnect, and all the technical finesse on the different Wavemaster barges any farm site is well equipped for the future of fish farming whatever scale.

Safety: In order to manually shut

of air or diesel flow in case of fire or other emergency the barge is equipped with manual levers and stopcocks. Emergency stop electronics boxes are also installed with fire extinguishers and 360 degree turning cameras located all around each

barge. In other words, the Wavemaster barges are well equipped in terms of safety!

Other features: The barges also feature a crane with an optional remote

control, ensilage system, veterinary lab, feed selectors, cleaning plug injectors, large garage, insulated machine room, accommodation and a wide range of other optional features.

AKVA group is growing and the barges are frequently growing in size and production. Wide ranges of barge models are available depending on site demands and customer preferences. AKVA group currently manufacture about 24 Wavemaster barges globally per year and they are all different when it comes to features and customizations.

Every single one of the Wavemaster steel feed barges are produced at shipyards in either Tallinn in Estland, Klaipeda in Lithuania or Szczecin and Ustka in Poland.

Typically, it takes about six months to produce a barge like the Wavemaster AC 850 Panorama, with an additional three months if there is not a design already in existence and a lot of tailoring is needed.

Image: All of the latest

Wavemaster models are able

to provide for the full spectrum

of economic efficiencyand

to a wide range of cage farming operations, with

sizes ranging from 96 to 850

metric tons.

52 | January | February 2016 - International Aquafeed