Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SAFE (SmartAqua4FuturE - SAFE)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-05-01 bis 2025-10-31
SAFE addresses the dual challenge of reducing environmental impacts and improving the economic viability of freshwater aquaculture (FWA) in Europe. The project applies circular economy principles to valorise solid and liquid wastes from a range of systems – including recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), ponds, flow-through units, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) – by using effluents and sludge as substrates for producing alternative biomasses (algae, insects, worms, fungi, and aquatic plants) that can be converted into novel feed ingredients and other products. AI- and machine learning-based tools are being developed to optimise feeding, grading, and water management, thereby reducing waste production, improving water quality, and enhancing fish welfare in automated management systems. SAFE also aims to strengthen disease prevention and treatment through energy-efficient technologies and bioactive feed ingredients. By advancing management systems, integrating waste streams into the aquaculture feed chain, and demonstrating solutions across several EU countries while comparing them with Chinese and Chilean systems, the project seeks to improve the environmental and economic performance of FWA and to document the management and governance conditions required for wider uptake. Extensive dissemination activities, knowledge-transfer programmes, training, workshops, and co-operation with industry stakeholders support the development of professional skills and innovation capacity in freshwater aquaculture within the EU and partner countries.
SAFE has made substantial progress in characterising and utilising waste streams from freshwater aquaculture and in demonstrating circular concepts at pilot and farm scale. Across RAS, pond, IMTA, and flow-through systems, seasonal sampling of water, effluents, and sludge has been performed for macronutrients, trace elements, particle size, pesticides, antibiotics, and microbial indicators, revealing no critical levels of harmful compounds. On this basis, several innovations have been designed, built, and tested: a low-cost, natural sediment filtration system based on straw bricks has been installed in carp ponds, with nutrient-enriched bricks subsequently used as substrates for oyster mushroom cultivation; a transcritical CO2 heat pump dryer has been developed and demonstrated for efficient sludge drying; and processed RAS wastewater has been successfully used for semi-continuous microalgae cultivation for feed trials and lipid (EPA) enrichment. Aquaponics trials using RAS effluents have shown that vegetables and fruits can be grown with good water quality. Substrates derived from pond sediments, insect frass, duckweed, watercress, and spent mushroom substrate have been tested for mushroom, redworm, and mealworm production, with follow-up trials planned to refine mixtures that support growth and reproduction. Biodiversity assessments before and after the application of SAFE technologies have been conducted in Norway, Poland, and Ireland, showing no deterioration in benthic or diatom communities and, in some cases, improved conditions downstream of interventions. In parallel, digital innovations – including new optimisation modules in Cobália and major upgrades to the image-based fish measurement system – have progressed, laying the foundations for more efficient and sustainable farm management decisions.
The project is delivering integrated technological, biological, and digital solutions that go beyond current practice in freshwater aquaculture and waste management. SAFE’s work on using aquaculture sludge and effluents as inputs for circular aquafeed ingredients demonstrates that key nutrients, such as phosphorus and zinc, can be retained within the production cycle instead of being lost to river systems and catchments. Comprehensive toxicological and microbiological assessments show no significant transfer of heavy metals, mycotoxins, or pathogenic bacteria from sludge-derived substrates into the resulting biomasses, underpinning their safe use in feed formulations. The environmental performance of these circular ingredients and feeds is being quantified through life cycle assessment, focusing on reduced emissions, resource use, and nutrient releases, and providing evidence for farmers, feed manufacturers, and regulators. On the digital side, SAFE is developing and validating data-driven models for fish growth and weight distribution based on grading and sensor data from production units, in combination with improved stereo-vision monitoring. These AI-based tools enable optimised planning of grading and stocking, reduced handling and labour, better feed and energy use, and improved fish welfare, while lowering the ecological footprint. The combination of circular biomass valorisation, rigorous environmental assessment, and advanced decision-support systems creates a novel, transferable framework that can inspire innovation in other aquaculture and bioeconomy sectors.