Rookwood 2, the first project that Billund Aquaculture Australia developed in Tasmania, was built between February 2015 and November 2016. The smolt farm has a strong focus on the environment and was the first one to have ozone cleaning and disinfection for the entire water flow.
This treatment method combined with denitrification technology aims for minimum water consumption and discharge, in compliance with tight local environmental regulation and restrictions. It consists of a full flow ozone application (up to 1 kg O3/h at a flow of 4,500 m3/h) instead of typical side stream treatment and delivers extreme water clarity as well as excellent production results in 120-150g Atlantic salmon smolts. Subsequently, this groundbreaking innovation has been implemented in some of Billund’s most recent designs.
Moreover, any remaining effluent from the hatchery that belongs to Australian salmon farmer Tassal, is used to irrigate nearby farmland providing natural fertilizer.
As this was Billund Aquaculture’s first project in Tasmania, this innovative RAS facility also posed a few challenges in terms of finding skilled labor in the mostly rural southern part of the island. However, those difficulties were easily overcome thanks to the client’s continual support throughout the entire project. Without this, hiring quality laborers and subcontractors might have been a major problem.
Indeed, the experience gained in networking in that area laid the foundations for our current business in that region, which has now been expanded to Southeast Asia.
