Periodic Reporting for period 3 - The Blue Growth Farm (Development and demonstration of an automated, modular and environmentally friendly multi-functional platform for open sea farm installations of the Blue Growth Industry)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-02-01 bis 2022-03-31
The following technical achievements have been detailed: a) Ability to withstand offshore conditions including wave significant heights of up to 6 m; b) improved standards of fish welfare with respect to traditional near coast fish farming; c) efficient use of open sea resources (replenishment of wild fish stock by increasing the farmed stock; use on site of renewable energy resources; reduction of pollution by stimulating electric engine based vessels); d) minimal environmental footprint (better diffusion of biomass waste) and visual impact by moving offshore; e) improved knowledge about opposition for MOI deployment from regulators or local communities; f) extensive business planning and commercially viability, with clear characterization of pros and cons; g) improved security of production; h) capability design for the infrastructure management by remote to support continuity when access to the platform is unsafe because of adverse conditions; i) design solutions for safety of sea navigation.
Communication and dissemination activities in the BGF project have played a fundamental role in enhancing the commercial potential of BGF technological solutions for further replication. In particular, these have been deployed to: a) increase the awareness of BGF project and its results (+15 published papers including specialized magazines; +80 dissemination events mobilized or participated; b) provide up-to-date information about the project (BGF website, RINA-C channels, BGF Consortium partners website’ pages); c) promote the project to media and the general public (+2 project videos downloadable from the project website; +10 press release to publicize BGF local events; d) create visibility within the targeted stakeholders’ communities (3 workshops with local Reference Stakeholders Group, including external stakeholders (local authorities, operators, students and broad public); e) sharing the technical results of BGF technical solutions (+15 published papers including specialized magazines; + 15 project public deliverables; f) attract and involving relevant stakeholders (3 sector events (Aquaculture Europe) through exhibit trade shows.
- design of a profitable, corrosion-resistant, low-maintenance modular concrete floating multi-purpose offshore platform;
- study of the integration of a commercial offshore wind turbine system (10MW), and a number of wave energy systems;
- design of a highly automated aquaculture system, capable of producing fish at industrial level in harsh offshore environments;
- design and integration of a metocean condition system and maritime surveillance unit;
- design of a docking system able to accommodate specialized vessels required to support the aquaculture production;
- development of a sustainable business model for the platform;
- engagement from a wide range of different stakeholders and institutions via workshops;
- definition of the training needs and Health & Safety issues related to the design and operation of the platform, to be confirmed by the results from the sea trials, in order to establish guidelines for the professional skills and competence requirements of potential commercial operators;
- development of an overall environmental impact assessment of a full-scale platform;
- production of Best Practice guidelines by combining different knowledge inputs (science, stakeholders, authorities, risk justified decision makers) to generate novel insights with regard to the management of sea space for multiple uses.
As future demand for food from aquaculture will also depend on the availability of space for fish farming, and “Marine Spatial Planning” is needed to ensure the allocation of space for offshore mariculture as a means of realizing sustainable aquaculture development activities, the proposed project has produced guidelines for adaptive social license to operate (SLO) practice.
Additionally, novel concepts of integrated multipurpose offshore platform are such to promote new professional and multidisciplinary skills to be trained to work in the blue economy. Training needs for operation and maintenance of the Blue Growth Farm multipurpose platform, based on 30 staff skilled components, have been fully characterized, for a further validation in the full-scale industrial development.