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PES2020-Prosj.etabl.støtte H2020

"GRACE: Green Recirculated Artic Char Environment" - a radical new land-based farming model for the aquaculture industry.

Awarded: NOK 74,999

Project Manager:

Project Number:

321227

Project Period:

2020 - 2021

Funding received from:

Location:

In the context of depleting land, energy resources and population growth, the aquaculture industry plays a vital role in sustainably meeting future demand for dietary protein. That said, the aquaculture industry that today relies primarily on open water net pens has a dark side. This model of farming is responsible for 110 million tonnes of sea water pollution per year, 39% increase in wild fish mortality owing to escaped fish and transmission of disease, and an excess annual carbon footprint of more than 100 million tonnes of CO2. Moving fish production in-land, to indoor tanks that contain waste, control transmission of disease and prevent fish escapes is considered the best alternative to open water models. Yet, current land-based farms have failed to achieve profitability. Rendalsfisk has pioneered a new model of land-based farming, GRACE, designed specifically to produce Arctic Char. Thanks to our innovative multi-source heat exchange system and natural waste water purification method, our model is economically viable, will deliver unmatched environmental benefits, consume 2-3 times less energy than existing land-based farms and increase the global supply of Arctic Char. During this EIC Accelerator project we aim to complete the final stages in our technology development roadmap in order to deploy and operate the first commercial GRACE production plant from end 2022 onwards. These objecctives are: 1) improve feeding efficiency; 2) centralize the control of our proprietary heat exchange system; 3) create optimal regimes for feeding, water temperature regulation, lighting and water O2/CO2 control to optimize fish growth and quality. Successfully achieving the objectives will allow us to harvest our first fish (1,215 tonnes) in 2023, validate our product in the €174 billion global seafood market, and pave the way to increase annual production to 3,000 tonnes by 2026. By 2027, an annual sales revenue of €22M is expected.

Funding scheme:

PES2020-Prosj.etabl.støtte H2020