Pioneering Avanced Oxygenation Solutions at our Innovation Centre for Aquaculture

Success in aquaculture depends on the three key dimensions of fish production – fish health, water health and financial health.

Finding the right balance of the three is essential, as healthier fish lead to greater production, but optimal water requires an investment. The key to success is understanding where best to invest.

Cutting edge oxygenation is one of the most important developments in aquaculture. And we believe it’s something of an artform, as even small improvements in water health can deliver major benefits to growth rates, mortality rates and feed conversion ratios.

BOC is a Linde company, the leader within oxygenation technology for fish farming. Having worked within fish farming since the early days of this sector, Linde’s extensive experience and ongoing research and development allows BOC to deliver the latest technology and know-how to our customers.

Ongoing research and development has allowed us to develop a number of pioneering oxygenation technologies and solutions. Our SOLVOX^® range has been designed to meet the needs of the aquaculture sector, providing advanced oxygenation options to farms of every type.

But every farm is unique, and every solution needs to be adapted to a local context.

That’s where Linde’s Innovation Centre for Aquaculture comes in. For over 20 years, we’ve been working with the fish farming community to develop new concepts and approaches that account for water quality, health issues and locality.

A 55-cubic-metre testing and demonstration tank is at the heart of this pioneering R&D and testing facility in Ålesund, Norway and it’s there that we observe how water quality conditions are affected by different oxygenation systems at different temperatures and salinities. We simulate a healthy environment for any species and growth stage, conducting trials with seawater, freshwater and brackish water at temperatures ranging from 4°C to -30°C. This insight allows our experts to enhance the productivity of fish farming under any conditions.

As an example, in freshwater tank environments, where efficient and controlled oxygen delivery is crucial, SOLVOX^®

cone can deliver oxygenation efficiency close to 100%, oxygen delivered via a pressure cone can be boosted by 50% by combining with the SOLVOX^® cone booster, while an all-in-one, low pressure system like SOLVOX^® Oxystream guarantees both efficient oxygen delivery and nitrogen removal.

In seawater cages, a different approach is necessary. Oxygenation solutions need to account for the harsh, ever-changing conditions and supplementary oxygen can boost oxygen levels that would otherwise be heavily depleted during treatments and harvesting.

SOLVOX^® dropIn solutions are ideal in this environment, easily deployable to manage fluctuations in oxygen saturation levels and suited to both continuous oxygenation schemes and short-term applications such as de-licing or medical treatments.

Trials at our Ålesund Innovation Centre have shown that incremental improvements in growth and fish welfare can be made through advanced oxygenation solutions like those in BOC’s SOLVOX^® range, making a significant difference to the bottom line.

The key is to understand each farm’s individual circumstances and environment, tailoring solutions to its profile and processes. To find the right balance of fish health, water health and financial health, get in touch with BOC’s Aquaculture Team at aquaculture@boc.com to discuss the ideal oxygenation solutions for your farm.