ABOUT THE CLIENT
AQUACULTURE RESEARCH FACILITY IN NEW ZEALAND
The Facility of Aquaculture Research of Macroalgae is a research facility by The University of Waikato, focusing on the development of sustainable technologies to enable the production of marine and freshwater macroalgae for biomass applications. The purpose of the initiative is to meet the national targets of New Zealand by diversifying the local aquaculture industry and to develop a blue economy in the region.
WHAT THE CLIENT NEEDED
FLEXIBLE RAS SOLUTION
The facility needed a solution to ensure state-of-the-art disinfection for the RAS and intake supply for their comprehensive setup. The facility consists of two identical, bespoke algae research systems for both fresh and saltwater use, all housed in locally sourced greenhouses using reverse cycle heat pumps for temperature control. The system required a dual intake water treatment system for saltwater and freshwater, allowing for input of various sources of wastewater to trial treatment and remediation options.
The primary species to be grown in the RAS are the freshwater alga Oedogonium and the seaweed Ulva (sea lettuce), facilitating an infrastructure for the cultivation of seaweed from nursery stages to grow-out, with the goal of delivering a closed life-cycle aquaculture production of seaweed.
THE SOLUTION
POLYPROPYLENE UV SYSTEMS
In cooperation with Fresh By Design, ULTRAAQUA installed the Polypropylene UV systems across several different points of the facility. All installed UV systems are made from Polypropylene (PP) material, known for its excellent corrosion-resistant qualities.
The water intake system was fitted with a MonoRay 4-350W PP UV, ensuring that no dangerous pathogens are able to enter the RAS through the intake water. Additionally, each production system was fitted with a MonoRay 3-220W PP UV with the purpose of controlling microbiological growth, to effectively eliminate any harmful microorganisms. Additionally, all the ULTRAAQUA UV systems in the facility are installed with UV and temperature sensor monitoring, to ensure maximum energy efficiency.
