Norwegian company successfully pilots innovative vertical RAS system

23/08/2024

Norwegian aquaculture company SIFT Group has successfully piloted its novel RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) which utilizes super-intensive farming technology (SIFT) for which the company is named. The system features eco- and animal-friendly, vertically stacked, shallow raceways, in which water is constantly circulated to mimic a fast-moving stream.

The system has been designed to emphasize fish welfare, with optimized temperature and oxygen levels, water purification at each raceway level, and controlled water flow. The continuous cleaning system removes waste particles, toxic gasses, and metabolites. The system is energy-efficient because the tanks' design entails minimal pumping requirements, which reduces the energy requirements.

An essential aspect of the trials was finding the optimum density of salmon that the company could grow in such a system. They were able to stock to a density of 200 kilograms per cubic meter, which is double that of land-based salmon farms using deep tanks.

SIFT has received significant international interest in their farming solutions, and a contract has already been signed with a Korean company to use the system in a flounder farm. Discussions are also underway with U.S. companies keen to farm salmon and other freshwater fish inland, closer to the big cities, where land is more affordable than on the coast.