ABB Motion success stories in aquaculture

ABB drives and motors help increase sustainable aquaculture in Chile

The Owurkan is a clinical vessel that traffics in the Calle Calle river in Valdivia Chile. It’s specially designed to improve the therapeutic treatment of salmon. The vessel uses ABB variable speed drives and high-efficiency motors to control the operation of the propulsion system onboard the Owurkan. It has resulted in an energy reduction of 20% ensuring sustainable aquaculture.

The ship provides specialized treatments to salmons through fresh water bathes and controlled drugs. In this way, the discharge of antiparasitics to the ocean is reduced between 97% and 99% in comparison to traditional methods.

More than six years of research, development and innovation are contained in the ship “Owurkan” and materialized in technical elements, such as a pond of continuous movement, a plant of reverse osmosis, plants of oxygen generation, and labs, among other equipment. The ship was designed and built in the shipyard, Asenav, in Valdivia. It was developed from the beginning to operate in a sustainable way with a diesel-electric propulsion system based on ABB

Producing high quality fish in Germany in a sustainable way

FRESH Völklingen produces first-class fish in large saltwater pools without any access to the sea. Instead the water in use is circulated in a completely closed water cycle. ABB’s industrial and general purpose drives control water treatment pumps in harsh environmental conditions.

As innovative as aquaculture is for the German climate the technology in use is also innovative, and FRESH Völklingen is breaking new ground in this area. Each of the four saltwater pools form a closed water cycle with biological cleaning – a unique arrangement.

ABB variable speed drives/variable frequency drive (drives), control the Flygt pumps in a reliable way and play an important role in the water treatment process. There are a total of seven wall-mounted industrial drives with an output of 15 kilowatts, and one with 45 kilowatts. There are also three wall-mounted general purpose drives in use (45 kilowatts). The drive series has features that are important for water treatment, including coated circuit boards for harsh environments. The protective coating of the circuit board in the drive protects the electronics from moisture and extends the lifetime of the variable speed drive.