Land-based system gains inspiration from agriculture
Niri, Scotland’s newest land-based salmon producer, has signed an exclusive contract with Reliant Installations – a company best known for its Permastore slurry tanks and grain silos, which are familiar sights on farms around the UK – to provide fish tanks for its new site on the Kintyre peninsula.
So far, Reliant has constructed one 1500m3 tank on Niri’s site, but there is already funding available to install at least seven more within a former aircraft hangar, while plans to build up to forty 6000m3 tanks in the surrounding area have also been drawn up.
“It is great to be working with Niri, the potential of this link-up is of immense significance to our company,” Raymond Hundsdoerfer, Director of Reliant Installations Ltd tells Fish Farming Expert.
“This project will also provide jobs at the site and the procurement of materials locally will inject revenue into other local businesses. This project is both a milestone for Niri and will help secure Reliant as a world leader of tank supplies for the aquaculture industry,” he adds.
From agriculture to aquaculture
Niri’s founder and chief operator, Arve Gravdal, explains how the deal came about.
“I had been thinking for a while about where to source our tanks, and suddenly realised that I was driving past the perfect tanks on farms every day on my way to/from the airbase,” he recalls.
Proven design
Raymond believes Reliant’s Permastore design is ideally suited to land-based aquaculture systems.
As he explains: “They’re a glass-fused-to-steel (GFS) design, which is eminently suited to Niri’s requirements – they’re smooth to the touch and without protrusions so do not harm the skin of the fish; they are circular so the salmon can swim safely; the surface is easily cleaned and deters the growth of harmful pathogens.
“For Niri we have developed a coating using a paler colour but still including the cobalt for long life. Accelerated lab testing has shown a 30+ year design life that is in line with all Permastore tanks. This coating with embedded colour will never fade or need painting or any resurfacing, enabling long duty periods without down time.
“All the materials used are of high quality and at the end of life are completely recyclable and, together with Niri’s environmentally friendly system, we make a wholly virtuous circle that leaves no bill for our children and grandchildren to pick up. We are very proud to be a part of this whilst growing high quality healthy food for a large populace to enjoy.”
Raymond has a slightly different plan for the larger, outdoor tanks that are going to be used for the second phase of the MACC development.
“The outdoor tanks have a specially designed sheet-to-roof interface, allowing the simple fitting of a self-supporting large diameter roof,” he adds.
