Air Liquide: Breathing New Life into Land-Based Aquaculture
Behind many successful fish farming operations stands Air Liquide, one of the world's leading industrial gas suppliers whose oxygen technology is revolutionising the aquaculture industry. Operating in over 60 countries, Air Liquide brings more than three decades of specialist experience to the sector through its Air Liquide Technology Center (ALTEC), where technical specialists provide tailored advice and process innovations.
explains Air Liquide application specialist Alex Young. “We collaborate closely with the industry and our East Asia Pacific fish farm expert, Tianyan Chen who is located in Japan, to provide customised solutions that address specific customer needs.”
A prime example of this collaborative approach is Air Liquide's work with NIWA and Northland Regional Council on the pioneering land-based kingfish farm in Ruakaka. This project showcases how pure oxygen technology supports sustainable aquaculture in New Zealand, with Air Liquide's expertise proving invaluable in designing oxygen delivery systems tailored to kingfish cultivation.
At the heart of Air Liquide's offering are advanced oxygen dissolution systems that outperform conventional aeration methods. Its high-efficiency devices include the BICONETM and CS Nozzle systems, alongside electricity-free solutions such as POROXAL and MESOXAL. These technologies maintain optimal dissolved
oxygen concentrations at 120-140% saturation.
For modern recirculating aquaculture systems like the Ruakaka facility, Air Liquide's technology extends beyond fish respiration, with oxygen also producing ozone for water sterilisation. The company offers supply options from cylinders to on-site oxygen generators and has embraced digitalisation through monitoring applications that track oxygen levels and enable remote management.
While oxygen typically accounts for just 1-10% of total operational costs, Alex says its impact on productivity is substantial. "Some customers have reported a 1.5-fold increase in production capacity. Pure oxygen allows for higher fish density while requiring less water, creating more sustainable operations."
The benefits extend to fish health and growth rates, with stable oxygen levels optimising metabolism. Some farmers report 20-30% increases in feed intake and improved feed conversion rates, directly reducing production costs that can exceed NZ$2,000 per tonne of fish. Pure oxygen also prevents nitrogen supersaturation, which can cause gas disease, and provides a safety buffer during power outages.
Air Liquide's systems are designed with energy efficiency in mind, consuming less electricity than conventional methods. As land-based aquaculture expands in New Zealand and globally, Air Liquide's experience, innovation and successful projects like the Ruakaka kingfish farm position the company as a vital partner in creating sustainable fish farming operations that help meet the world's growing demand for protein.
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