Integration of Marine Renewable Energy Source(s) at Levantina Fish Feeding Platforms

Levantina Fish has been operating for over 30 years in Cyprus, producing sustainable award-winning sea bream and sea bass. It has one hatchery unit measuring production of 25,000,000 fish with 6 growth units, two of which are found in the gulf of Limassol. There are two different feeding platforms that supply, on a daily basis with the exact amount of food needed, the two growth units in the gulf of Limassol.

One of the feeding platforms is the SILO that is a steady type of tower based on four pillars and is located 500m south of the breakwater of the port of Limassol. The fish farm served by the SILO feeding platform has a depth of 20m. The SILO feeding platform daily consumes 33lt of petrol for powering (6hrs) the electric generator (80-90kw) which supplies with power all the equipment.

The second type of feeding platform in the gulf of Limassol is the FISH FEEDER, a floating barge which is anchored to the fishfarm, for the automatic feeding of the fish. It has been specifically designed to feed 6 cages at one time and has a feeding capacity of 60 tons. The FISH FEEDER daily consumes 40lt of petrol for powering (for 6hrs) an electric generator of 13kw and a diesel engine of 250hp (188kw) capacity at 1500rpm. The FISH FEEDER is located 1,5 km southeast from the SILO fishing platform. The fish farm served by the SILO feeding platform has a depth of 37-55m.

Both platforms operate for an estimated 350 days per year for 6 hours per day from 7am to 13pm.

Sustainability is of paramount importance to Levantina Fish Ltd and has been an integral part of the company’s identity from the beginning. Levantina Fish Ltd has achieved Friend of the Sea’s Sustainable Aquaculture Certification, and as part of its efforts in sustainability is taking action to reduce its carbon footprint.

The company is therefore looking for entities to collaborate with in order to integrate marine renewable energy sources into its feeding platforms, which will provide low-carbon power for their daily needs.

Important environmental considerations that solution entities should have in mind: For almost half of the year there are light winds of 2-3bfr in the gulf especially after 11 o'clock and rarely the wind reaches 5-6bfr. Strong currents may occur if strong winds exist for consecutive days in a row. These prevailing high waves and strong currents result in clean waters, with excellent water quality and oxygenation, benefiting the fish. As a result, any proposed technology must have the least possible impact οn the marine environment, due to the proximity to the fish farms, which are free from pollution and no industrial activity, and boast top quality fish with high nutritional value.

Entity proposing the challenge:

Levantina Fish Ltd