EMERGING INDUSTRY IN SLUDGE

Emerging industry in sludge. At Framo Aquaculture, orders for LiftUP sludge collection systems are flowing in. Deliveries to the fish-farming industry have by far exceeded expectations.

“Sludge collection has become a new industry that both creates jobs and protects the environment, and Framo Aquaculture is proud to be part of this green shift in the aquaculture sector. The sludge collected can be used to produce electricity and district heating, and to extract phosphorus that in turn can be used in the production of fish feed and fertilisers”, says Jarle Ragnhildstveit, Product Developer at Framo Aquaculture.

This autumn, the company has signed contract after contract, and more are in the pipeline. Thus far, 8 contracts have been entered into, and several are waiting to be finalised.

“The market is now waking up to this, and we are set to deliver sludge systems to several of the major players in the aquaculture industry. We see an increased willingness to invest in this technology, because sludge and pellet removal is good for the seabed as well as the water quality at the fish-farming facilities. By using this technology, fish farmers can speed up the recovery time for their sites and benefit from shorter fallow periods. As an example, this could allow for the transfer of 800-gram post-smolt with a sea-time of some 10 months prior to slaughter. Suddenly, transfer of fish to sea can be done annually. In addition, there are opportunities for co-location of several facilities”, explains Ragnhildstveit.

Framo Aquaculture’s journey in sludge collection started in earnest when the company entered into a collaboration with Lerøy.

“We acquired a wealth of knowledge from the pilot project, and the result is even more impressive when you look at what Lerøy Sjøtroll has achieved at its locations around Osterøy”, says Jarle Ragnhildstveit.

A large-scale project that involves collecting sludge and waste feed from open cages has been completed at one of the facilities belonging to Lerøy Sjøtroll in Sørfjorden.

This has provided Framo Aquaculture with useful insights going forward. Until now, seabed conditions have placed limitations on the fish production levels. With new technology, fish farmers have the opportunity to change this.

“We are now working on commercialisation of the product together with several exciting customers who have opted to invest in sludge collection. What is more, they have taken the lead in introducing new methods in fish farming”, says Oddbjørn Jacobsen, Director of Framo Aquaculture.

These customers have all taken the fish-farming industry a step forward.  Lingalaks, which was the first customer to come on board after the pilot project, is now working with the closed fish-farming concept, Stadion Basin, together with Framo Aquaculture.

KJ Eide Fiskeoppdrett is set to become the world’s first freshwater fish-farming business with a sludge collection system in place, and Eide Fjordbruk is working with closed cage systems and sludge collection in sea. In the north, Vesterålen Havbruk is establishing the world’s first cod-framing facility with sludge collection.

The equipment supplier LiftUP became part of Framo in October 2021. It recently moved to larger production facilities and office premises at Framo Fusa. Hence, there is now room for expansion when the market for sludge collection booms.

“In addition to the customers with whom we have contracts already, we are at the final stages with other fish-farming entities who have realised the advantages of a smaller footprint, shorter sea-time for the salmon, and minimal fallowing”, says Jarle Ragnhildstveit.