Energy use in controlled temperature marine aquaculture

Abstract

Temperature control offers benefits in land-based marine aquaculture: stock growth rates may be enhanced by heating in winter; mortality rates in summer may be reduced by cooling. However, if the plant is not well designed, temperature control may create very large energy demands. This paper describes the application of temperature control in abalone aquaculture in New Zealand, with a focus on energy considerations in plant design. An abalone farm using a semi-closed water conditioning system is used as a case study for which an energy model, based on a heat pump system, is developed. The model is used to determine the impact of plant design and tank conditions on the economics of the operation.