Environmentally Friendly Sustainable Aquaculture Net Servicing Facility

Final Report

Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd
AIMAP-2010-M02

Table of contents

Executive summary
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Project phases and results
Phase 1: Research (April 2009 – December 2010)
Phase 2: Design of Industrial Net Cleaning, Disinfection, Wastewater & Waste Treatment Facilities and Solar Technology (July 2009 – March 2011)
Phase 3: Building Designed to LEED Standard (September 2009 – October 2010)
Phase 4: Construction of the Facility (October 2010 – June 2011)
Phase 5: Operations Established (April – September 2011)
3.0 Benefits and success
4.0 Summary
5.0 Next steps
Acknowledgements

Executive summary

Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd has been an integral part of the aquaculture industry since the company started in 1986 and has been providing net repair and anti-fouling treatments to its aquaculture clients for over 25 years. As this industry grew in Nova Scotia, the need for a full service net cleaning facility was identified, as nets were being transported to New Brunswick at considerable expense. This full aquaculture net service would clean fouled aquaculture nets, and disinfect/sterilize, inspect, repair and retreat them with anti-fouling based on customers’ requests.

Although, Rainbow had identified this opportunity to expand its service into aquaculture net cleaning, it was equally important for the company to accomplish this in an environmentally sustainable way. The objective of this project was to establish a net cleaning and disinfection facility that would be energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The project was implemented in five phases and the environmental objectives were applied throughout these phases.

The first three phases of the project focused on research, development and design related to the facility’s location, the building, net cleaning and disinfection equipment, methods and processes (e.g., waste water treatment) and energy sources.

Rainbow’s new location was decided based on the customer demands and the ability to handle the projects environmental needs. Kaiser Meadows Eco-Park in Chester, NS was chosen which also placed this new business next to the Kaizer Meadows Solid Waste Management Facility.  In abiding by the Eco-Park’s regulations, the building was constructed using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

Much of the research was conducted in collaboration with Dalhousie University. It concluded that the common method of pressure washing nets removed too much copper, and a combination of natural drying processes and tumble washing was the most effective. Drying enabled 50% of the bio-foulant (e.g. algae) to be removed with little or no copper and provided a by-product for other uses (compost). This method of collecting fouling from aquaculture nets is the “first of its kind” in Canada. Tumble washing was effective in removing almost 100% of the remaining bio-foul, reduced labour costs, was easier on net fibers, and removed less than 10% of the copper.

While the net cleaning and disinfecting “tumble” systems selected were very effective, design modification were made to deal with the waste water discharge. Filter pans were added to reduce the amount of solids entering the septic tank, and these solids, containing bio-foul with copper, are collected and treated as hazardous waste at the Eco-Park’s waste management facility.  The remaining waste water is captured in in-ground, insulated tanks, and cycled through a five tank filtration system that refines and treats the water for re-use in the washing cycles.

Research on alternative energy sources resulted in solar technology being selected to power the facility and its operations as it was the most environmentally friendly, consistent and cost effective solution. The energy created by the 50 solar panels at the facility powers 5 electric motors that run the entire operation, including the heat needed for the water circulation system to dry the nets and operate the cleaning / disinfection systems. The heat exchanger/boiler increases the water temperature for these processes to above the current standard being used by the industry (i.e. 65 oC for 20 minutes).

Phase four and five focused on building construction and making the facility operational. The construction phase took approximately nine months and encountered a number of challenges that delayed the project. The 100 x 150ft building was completed on May 10, 2011, when Rainbow received its occupancy permit, and consisted of a secure drying site, net cleaning machine, disinfecting tank, repair station and a site for the application of the anti-foulant. Currently the facility’s operation includes the net drying, cleaning and disinfectant processes, and employs four full time and two part time staff.

As a result of construction delays, the transfer of the anti-foulant equipment and net repair service from its current location in Burnside, Dartmouth, and subsequent installation at the new site was postponed in order to meet current customer demands. It is expected that these final services and equipment will be transferred in August, and the net servicing facility will be fully operational by September 2011. 

Through innovation, this project has resulted in the completion of a facility that uses green technology (solar power) and sustainable practices (in waste water treatment), to make the net cleaning and repair processes more environmentally friendly. It has created local jobs and enabled this service to be offered to the aquaculture clients in Nova Scotia.

1.0 Introduction

Algae and other foulants on aquaculture nets are an ongoing challenge and growing concern.  Nets that contain foulant and are not cleaned on a consistent basis, will develop disease.  If kept in the water without cleaning, fish will not receive the nutrients and oxygen they require which results in reduced productivity. If left on shore, fouled nets create bad odours around sites and communities. In addition, insects and unwanted birds contaminate the nets further.    
                                                               
Aquaculture nets which become covered with marine growth are removed from the water.  A sealed truck then picks the nets up and delivers them to the facility, where the nets are stored in a confined area, due to the nets being contaminated. These nets require cleaning, disinfection, repairing and an anti-foulant application. This servicing normally occurs once each year.

Aquaculture Net Covered in Foulant:
The facilities that have been used in the past are located in New Brunswick. The aquaculture industry in Nova Scotia continues to grow, both in the number of farms, and the increasing demands and needs of the industry.  This was the starting point for Rainbow Net and Rigging Ltd. (Rainbow) to assess the needs of Nova Scotia growers and make the decision that an aquaculture net servicing facility in Nova Scotia is a must.

Following some initial investigation into the current methods of servicing nets, it was clear that a new approach to net cleaning and disinfection was also needed. A review of existing practices identified environmental protection, net damage and disease control as issues that should be properly addressed. 

As a result of this investigation, Rainbow Net and Rigging set the objective to establish a net cleaning and disinfection facility that would be energy efficient and environmentally friendly, with processes that focused on waste water treatment and used solar power.

2.0 Project phases and results

In order to move forward with the concept of an environmental friendly net servicing facility in Nova Scotia, Rainbow set a project implementation plan that had five phases:

Phase 1:           Research;
Phase 2:           Design of industrial net cleaning, disinfection, wastewater & waste treatment equipment & solar technology;
Phase 3:           Building design to LEED standard;
Phase 4:           Construction of the facility; and
Phase 5:           Operations established

Implementation of the plan began in 2008 with some initial research conducted by RNR and the facility was expected to be fully operational in October 2010. The first three phases of this project were completed prior to receiving Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access (AIMAP) funding, which focused on green technology related to waste water treatment and the solar energy elements of the project. This section outlines the process, timeline and results of each of these phases.

Phase 1: Research (April 2009 – December 2010)

Research on a Facility Location:
In early 2008, Rainbow Net and Rigging Ltd. began looking for a location to build this new operation in Nova Scotia. This location needed to be central to its aquaculture customer base, while also being in an area that was complimentary to the needs and requirements of an environmentally friendly facility. After an extensive search, Rainbow chose a location next to Kaizer Meadows Solid Waste Management Facility, which is situated in an Environmental Eco-Park. This meant that the disposal of the fouling and sludge off the nets would be controlled and meet environment standards. In addition, its location adjacent to Kaiser Meadows Solid Waste Management Facility will provide access to plenty of water, which would be a necessity at Rainbow’s facility. At the solid waste plant, water is taken through some of the most vigorous and up-to-date methods of water treatment which includes two stages of water treatment just minutes away from the Rainbow Net Cleaning Facility.

In 2008, Rainbow was invited to be the first tenant of the new Eco-Park.  The first meeting took place in March 2008 and the agreements took over one year to finalize. The operation is located at 1 Rainbow Drive, Chester, Nova Scotia. The road was named after the company, which was a great honor. 

Rainbow, in conjunction with Kaizer Meadows Solid Waste Management Facility, now are able to offer the aquaculture industry the most modern processes and procedures related to waste management treatments using state of the art net cleaning and disinfecting equipment, and waste management treatments.

Research on Net Cleaning Processes:
Initial research on this project began in Jan 2008 by Rainbow, in conjunction with Maxxam Laboratories in Bedford, NS. This research focused on current net cleaning methods (pressure washing), and looked at variables associated with the strength of materials (nets), water pressure needed to clean/remove fouling, waste water associated with the cleaning process, and the amount of copper that is removed. Reducing the amount of copper that would be removed from the nets was key, as this would be discarded waste that would require special treatments. It was concluded that pressure washing removed too much copper and other methods needed to be considered.

As a result Rainbow moved forward to look at better ways to remove fouling, while leaving the copper on the nets in order to reduce the environmental impacts, and a year later began collaborating with Dalhousie University (with funding from NRC-IRAP) on the various methods. A number of methods were considered to remove fouling effectively, including microwave technology, various solutions and water temperatures, tumble washing, and drying the fouling prior to removal.

All methods worked, but the best was drying. This research also identified that an initial drying stage must be completed to remove any bio-fouls (algae and plant life) before the nets were cleaned. Different drying methods were tested on nets from both farmed trout and salmon pens. The best methods found were forced heat, air dried or outside air, when conditions were available. Results showed that over 50% of the bio-foul came off using these natural drying processes.  Since copper is present in anti-foulant treatments, Dalhousie also tested the dried fouling to see how much copper was being removed with the algae. There was little or no copper found, making the algae fouling good for compost. The process of drying and collecting the algae for compost, prior to washing the nets, is presently being done in the operation at the new facility.

Rainbow and Dalhousie also looked at a variety of net washing systems to remove the remaining fouling. These included roller systems, water pressure systems, air blower systems, brush systems, and tumble washer systems. The tumble systems provided the best results as they were easier on the net fibers, took almost 100% of the remaining bio-foul off, were less labour intensive, and a much lower percentage of the copper was removed. The old system of pressure washing removed approximately 35% of the copper while the new tumble system removed less than 10%. This was key data for moving into the Eco-Park.

Rainbow is currently using techniques within operation to segregate the algae during the drying (no copper) and cleaning process (some copper, but less), but we would like to see all algae being composted in the future. This method of collecting the compost (algae/plants) from fouled aquaculture net pens is the “first of its kind” being done in Canada. Rainbow feels that with further research, additional processing of the algae for other uses will be discovered.

Although drying was considered the best method, the challenge of the high energy costs needed to be overcome. Alternative energy sources were considered to power the drying processes, with solar panels and in-floor radiant heat being chosen as the most consistent and cost-effective solution.

Phase 2: Design of Industrial Net Cleaning, Disinfection, Wastewater & Waste Treatment Facilities and Solar Technology (July 2009 – March 2011)

Rainbow worked with Langdon Environmental Services (LES) to oversee the design and purchase of the net cleaning and disinfection equipment, wastewater system and solar technology. They also selected the engineers that would address the environmental goals Rainbow wanted to achieve.

Net Cleaning and Disinfecting Equipment:
The main focus for the net cleaning machine was to have it work in conjunction with the wastewater treatment process, and to discard the sludge in an appropriate environmental manner. Current methods for discarding waste water are to dump it into an open pit, and sludge is handled by machines and contaminated substances are exposed.

It was concluded that Rainbow would purchase an overseas net cleaning machine similar to the washers being used in Europe. This tumble system is a sealed unit with a wastewater pan at the bottom of the machine for the collection and proper disposal of algae and sludge.

Rainbow’s owner, S. Cecil Mitchell, went to view one of these machines in Tunisia, Africa to ensure company needs were addressed.  This unit was almost exactly what was required, but the company still needed a system to deal with the waste water (containing foulant with copper). These additional requirements were addressed by ABL Environment Water Specialist who advised on the best methods for taking the discharged waste water from the net washing machine. Modifications were made so that the discharge from the waste water was gathered in filtering pans to reduce the amount of solids travelling to the septic tank. Solids (i.e. bio-foulant with copper) are removed from these pans, placed in hoppers, and treated as hazardous waste at the Park’s waste management facility.

Stat Manufacturing was consulted on the manufacturing of the disinfecting machine.  This machine is a replica of the net cleaning machine, but used in the disinfection process, after the nets are cleaned.

Rainbow also installed a tank at the rear of the building to collect and recycle rainwater from the roof to be used on cleaning and disinfecting of nets.

Waste Water and Waste Treatment:
Stantec Inc. and ABL Environmental were consulted on the wastewater treatment process.  This treatment process consists of five tanks in total. Water is fed in ground to the four holding tanks and then is filtered through a fifth concrete tank for holding any sediment.  Wastewater from both the washing and disinfecting cycles is captured in wastewater tanks insulated in ground. Here the wastewater is cycled through a filtration system from one tank to another to refine the water again and the waste water is treated and reused over and over again in the washing cycles.

Solar Technology:
Thermo Dynamics were consulted and supplied the solar panels for the operation. Fifty solar panels were erected on the back side of the building for optimal exposure. Solar technology is used for the heating of water that flows through the radiant flooring that the nets are placed on during the drying process.

This solar panel wall is an integral part of the facility, controlling the water flow and bringing heat temperatures to surprising numbers. The water circulation is powered by energy created by the 50 sections of 8ft x 3ft panels. Warm to hot water travels through insulated piping underground to the building where special stainless steel holding tanks are housed to store 1000’s of gallons of heated water. Water is drawn upwards with temperatures of 55 to 70 oC. The tanks are attached to a heat exchanger/boiler so the water is held at a consistent temperature. This water is used to heat designated areas (zones) inside the building, including the in-floor heating used to dry nets and to remove algae, and areas used to dry nets after they have been disinfecting tank. The water used in the disinfecting tank is also heated by the solar panels.

Solar Panels:
This solar technology runs five electric motors with no other source of energy to keep them operating, which is an essential part of the Eco-Park and environmentally friendly operations. The heat exchanger/boiler increases the water temperature for these processes to above the current standard being used by the industry (i.e. 65 oC for 20 minutes).

Phase 3: Building Designed to LEED Standard (September 2009 – October 2010)

The third phase was to design and develop the plans for this “state of the art” facility that would 1) be in keeping with objective of this project, and 2) meet the requirements of the Eco-Park. Both these goals were achieved by applying the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards to the design, an internationally recognized green building certification system. LEED provides building owners with a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Strategies were used to improve performance such as energy savings, water efficiency, and stewardship of resources and the sensitivity to their impacts.
Rainbow worked with Eastern Canadian Structures, Truro, NS to complete the building design. This phase took more time then expected as LEED was a new concept to Rainbow and capacity needed to be built. Also additional design changes were made to improve the facility.
The contractor provided the building design drawings to Rainbow in October 2010, which exceeded the LEED standards (bronze level) required by the Eco-Park.

Phase 4: Construction of the Facility (October 2010 – June 2011)

Although clear cutting and excavating for water and power began in August 2009, construction on the building did not begin until October 2010. The construction of the facility and layout for where each piece of machinery would be situated was very important. This 100ft x 150ft building was double walled and steel sided inside and outside. It includes special drains (in-floor piping system) for excess wastewater, holding tanks, concrete platforms for the disinfecting and washing tanks, and in-floor piping throughout to handle the radiant heat for dry the nets. There is also holding tanks located inside and outside to carry the 1000’s gallons of hot/cold processed water used in the daily operation of business.  

Construction of the facility was delayed due to multiple challenges that needed to be overcome. These included: 1) site permit delays due to the location bordering Crown Lands (six months); 2) regulatory delays with the Municipality of Chester related to the eco-friendly solid waste management requirements (3 months); and 3) construction delays (2 months). The latter was related to the solar panels, which needed to be moved from the roof to a pad that was built next to the building, and waste water drainage issues that were not considered in the original design specifications. These three delays brought the project to January 2011, and then cold weather became an issue, which resulted in the facility not being completed until the spring.

The building was completed on May 10, 2011, when Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd. received our occupancy permit.

Phase 5: Operations Established (April – September 2011)

Drying Process:
The net drying process is operational at the new facility. Fouling is dried by both outdoor raised poles and in floor solar radiant heat.  Nets are laid on a designated area of the floor for drying by solar radiant heat.  The discarded plant life /algae is collected and placed into the next stage of compost, which could be used in gardens/earth to assist growth of plant life. Presently some of this product is used for this purpose but further research is ongoing to refine the compost for this and other uses. 

Net Cleaning and Disinfecting Process:
The cleaning and disinfecting processes are also operational at the site in Chester. This equipment were trailed at the facility from April 1-15, 2011 and it was during this time that Rainbow identified the need for filter pans to deal with the discharge of solids from these two pieces of equipment. The net cleaning process consists of inserting a net in the washing machine, and tumbling it in cycles of 20 minute intervals.  There are variations on tumbling time as some nets are more fouled then others.  The excess foulant is discarded at the bottom of the machine and contained in a pan. The water is filtered through a drain in the floor that goes out to the wastewater tanks and filtered for reuse.

Disinfecting Tank:
Once the cleaning process is complete the nets are then put into the disinfection tank  where they are disinfected in the stainless a steel tank in temperatures that are higher than industry standards. Nets are currently being moved to the facility in Burnside for repair and application of anti-foulant.

Net Inspection, Repair and Application of Anti-Foulant:
After the cleaning process, the nets are inspected for holes that need repair. Once repaired, they are then emerged in the dip tank to apply the anti-foulant to the net. 

Application of Anti-Foulant:
As a result of construction delays, and the need to meet the demands of the peak business months for net cleaning and repair (March – June), Rainbow made the operational decision to delay the transfer and installation of the anti-foulant equipment from its current location in Burnside, Dartmouth to the site in Chester until after customer demands had been met. This required the net mending and inspection services to also remain at Burnside. It is expected that this final piece of equipment will be transferred in August, and the net servicing facility will be fully operational by September 2011. 

3.0 Benefits and success

The benefits of this project will ensure the need for sustainable production through value added products that Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd can offer. This includes the ablity to provide a full net service to our aquaculture customers in Nova Scotia while.

The environmental benefits include reusing of compost off of nets for other purposes, recycling of rainwater for use in the cleaning and disinfecting of nets, and decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a result of not requiring net to be transported out of province for cleaning. The use of solar technology and the recycling of water through our treatment facility will ensure that Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd is utilizing “Green Technology” to its fullest.

Economical benefits from this operation are that Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd will inject over $2 million into the economy by the construction of the facility and continues to work to support the local community and renewable energy suppliers. Rainbow has created jobs for four new full time employees and two part time employees, and this is expected to double by the fall 2011.

4.0 Summary

This project has resulted in the completion of a facility that uses green technology (solar power) and sustainable practices (in waste water treatment), to make the net cleaning and repair processes more environmentally friendly, and has enabled this service to be offered to the aquaculture clients in Nova Scotia.

The facility has been in operation since April 1, 2011 and while is not yet at capacity, it is expected to be fully operational by September and currently employs four new full time employees and two part time employees.

Since operations began over 30 nets have been serviced, generating $62,000 in sales. Orders have also been placed for an additional 100 nets in the next 1-2 months. Based on Rainbow loyal customer base, it is anticipated that upwards of 500 nets will be serviced by the company during a one year period

The operation experienced a few challenges, related to permits, design modifications and weather that delayed the project by 8-10 months.  However, the project was completed and customers that were depending on the services of the facility this spring season had their orders met.  Aside from these challenges, Rainbow’s success has been achieved.   We have been able to maintain our goal of implementing green technology, though the use of solar panel energy and in the environmentally safe capture of solids through improved waste water treatment.

This facility is ensuring sustainable production through value added products that Rainbow will offer and improving production that is currently being used in the industry through the innovation of new technology.

5.0 Next steps

In the upcoming months, as Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd becomes fully operational, it will be implementing new processes within the facility to improve production further and track environmental efficiencies, such as those related to solar panels, the collection of foulants for compost, and the recirculation and re-use of water., which will enable the facility to continue to improve into the future

Rainbow Net and Rigging will also be looking at a number of ways to communicate and promote the results of this project to industry and the public. This will include 1) an Open House at our new location in the summer/fall of 2011, which will also celebrate Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd’s 25th anniversary, 2) placing an article in the Nova Scotia Business Journal next year for their Aquaculture Edition following Scotia Pride detailing the successes of this project over the course of 3 years, and 3) possibly making a presentation at the 2012 NS Aquaculture Conference. 

Acknowledgements

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (AIMAP) – Wastewater Treatment and Solar Technology
• IRAP-NRC – Dalhousie - Funding towards Research and Development
• Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture – Building
• Nova Scotia Environment – Research and Development
• Municipality of the District of Chester – Building
• Nova Scotia Economic Development – Research and Development
• Nova Scotia Eco-Trust – Solar Technology
• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency – Overall Costs