AquaCycle

A large proportion of Austrian fish production is currently carried out in flow-through systems and ponds. A rapidly growing branch of aquaculture is production in recirculation systems, which purify and reuse the water.

Brief description

In recirculating aquaculture systems, the effluent water is usually discharged together with solid residues such as faeces and feed residues, which leads to a loss of valuable nutrients, as it is not yet profitable to separate the solids from the water and reuse them. This results in a daily water exchange of approx. 10 %.

The main objective of AquaCycle is to develop and evaluate measures to reduce emissions in aquaculture, with a particular focus on the efficiency of the operation of recirculation systems. The project aims to find ways to separate and effectively utilize the liquid and solid components of the effluent water. Of course, feasibility for plant operators and cost efficiency will also be taken into account. A crucial aspect of this project is to minimize the waste of valuable nutrients that would otherwise be disposed of in wastewater treatment plants at a cost. The aim is to develop the implementation of a circular economy concept that focuses on the efficient use of wastewater and nutrients.

AquaCycle is co-financed by the EU within the framework of Interreg AT-CZ (ATCZ00002) and brings together an international project team from BEST- Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích (University of South Bohemia) and the Institute of Water Ecology and Fisheries Management.