WeGen’s massive 704kWp solar PV system in Sarangani continues to run optimally! The system is ground-mounted and powers the shrimp farm of the San Andres Aquaculture Corporation (SANACOR)’s Farm 2. SANACOR contributes to an average production of 10,000 metric tons of high-value catch like pompano, sea bass, shrimps, and milkfish to the country’s overall fish production. It also provides employment and livelihood opportunities to thousands of fisherfolk and workers in the province.
Shrimp farming is very energy-intensive; the shrimp farms have to have 24/7 aeration to ensure that the shrimp have sufficient oxygen to grow and thrive. If oxygen is insufficient, the shrimp die within 30 minutes. Mechanical aerators have been seen to be greatly needed to maintain high oxygen levels in the water, keep its temperature at its optimal state as well as maintain a healthy pH balance that will ensure the shrimps’ health. Aerators also keep shrimp predators away and help keep the water free from diseases and germs, as well as unwanted weeds.
Aquaculture: An Energy-Intensive Industry that Can Benefit from Solar
How much aeration a shrimp pond needs has not been carefully studied, but based on reports, shrimp farm managers use a “rule of thumb” that each 300- to 500-kg increment of shrimp production requires 1 hp of aeration (3.33 to 2.0 hp/MT shrimp). The level of oxygen in the water has to be maintained and this means that consistent and unfailing sources of electricity are needed to ensure that the aeration pumps function continuously.
All in all, maintaining these aeration pumps – as well as maintaining all the processes required to maintain the shrimp farm and its productivity – require electricity, and because of this, aquaculture farms like Sanacor face dual power challenges: reliability and cost. Electricity is very expensive, and Sanacor’s average monthly power consumption costs are pegged at P3.5 million monthly at a rate of P8.92/kWh.
To ensure sustainability, the energy-intensive aquaculture industry needs to use renewable energy.
Sanacor’s solar PV system will have a total of 20,741,311.79 kWh yield in 25 years. If measured in terms of prices set by distribution utilities, the value of this electricity production is P227,125,989.
Subtracting costs for the inverter replacement and insurance, gross savings in 25 years will amount to P222,726,287.
Removing the purchase price of the system as well as financing/interest costs, the total net savings are still considerable at P140,359,674. The total net savings when measured against the rates set by distribution utilities is 62%.
Helping the Planet by Cutting Carbon Emissions
Finally, Sanacor is not only cutting its electricity costs, it is also reducing its carbon dioxide emissions.
Companies into aquaculture including shrimp farming usually rely on traditional energy sources like oil, diesel, and fossil fuel. In the last two decades, the energy costs and the carbon emissions of aquaculture activities have drawn much scrutiny. The energy input in the production and other activities on aquaculture farms can range from zero up to an estimated 3 kWh/kg. Based on the intensity of energy for aquaculture by region, farms in Europe and Central Asia have the highest energy intensity with 0.032 TJ/ton, followed by others.
Because of the urgent global calls to fight climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels, more and more companies in the aquaculture industry are using solar energy. Solar energy is a very necessary and viable alternative because of the benefits it provides: low operation cost, long life-cycle, environmental friendliness, no CO2 emissions, and low soil contamination. There are several applications of solar energy in aquaculture, such as solar power generation, solar aerators to oxygenate the water, solar feed dispensers, solar pumps, and solar water heater systems.
By using solar power for its pond aerators, Sanacor has made an important move to reduce its C02 emissions, avoiding the production of 617,118/kg of CO2 annually.
The good move that Sanacor has made will be continued as the company plans to have WeGen install a similar solar PV installation to power Sanacor Farm 3! #