RESPECTING AND USING NATURE WISELY, CULTIVATING A TRULY SUSTAINABLE SYMBIOSIS IN FISH PONDS
2024/08/05
On-Site Renewable Energy of Aquaculture
Apollo Aquatic Product Co. Ltd. Liu Hongzheng (center), deputy director and spokesperson for the Marketing Department of PX Mart, along with members of the Product Department and Marketing Team.
Under the persistence of Huang Guo-liang, Apollo Aquatic Product Co. Ltd. is currently collaborating with several technical schools and colleges, providing comprehensive internship and employment opportunities for younger generations interested in entering the aquaculture industry.
Apollo Aquatic Product Co. Ltd. transitioned from the primary sector to secondary processing and tertiary sales. In recent years, it has been actively constructing an innovative business model combining biological chain aquaculture, smart aquaculture, and fishery-electricity symbiosis, aiming to increase the profitability and competitiveness of Taiwan's aquaculture industry.
Even though it's late January, the sunlight remains intense at three in the afternoon. Only near a fish farm close to the mouth of the Jiangjun River heading out to the sea, can one see traces of people, mostly those of young people, undeterred by the sea winds. "A graduate from the Physical Education department, an intern from the Veterinary Department…we are trying to farm single oysters in land-based fish farms..." Huang Guo-liang, the founder of Apollo Aquatic Product Co. Ltd. speaks calmly. Growing up watching his grandfather and father raise fish, he once vowed never to do the same job.
Observing the difficulties facing Taiwan's aquaculture industry, however, he also saw hope, which made him determined to forge his own path. He began turning fish farms into experimental fields for innovative ideas, training grounds for future recruits, and even arenas for overturning traditional concepts and value systems.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities, Developing a Low-Power Water Oxygenation and Circulation Machine
To address these challenges, Huang's first step after taking over the ancestral fish farm was to move from traditional fish farming to biological chain aquaculture. Next, faced with the high costs of aquaculture, he began to consider different approaches. "At the fish farm, each water wheel consumes 2.5 to 3.5 amps per hour. The the monthly electricity bill for each wheel, which operates 24 hours a day, comes out to be about NT$2,500." So, for a 3-acre fish pond, which would have around 6 to 10 water wheels, the total monthly electricity bill could reach as high as NT$50,000. The motor and water quality detector were bought and then modified, the floating board was made from hand-cut PVC pipes, and the motor bearings underwent numerous tests.
Fortunately, their perseverance paid off after 8 years of continuous iteration and improvement. Now, 1 water the oxygenation and circulation machine can replace 6 to 8 water wheels. Using about only NT$300 worth of electricity per month, it agitates 800 tons of water per minute, generates a circulation flow to regulate temperature, and operates continuously for 24 hours. Whether in energy-saving benefits or cost savings, these are significant differences.
From Self-Sustaining Green Energy to True Fishery-Electricity Symbiosis Machine
Whether by the benevolence of the heavens, or the willingness to see setbacks as stepping stones to success, Huang had climbed to a vantage point where he could gaze outward at the distant and beautiful scenery he had always sought.
Now, in addition to the water oxygenating and circulation machine stirring up waves, there are also rooftop solar panels, small vertical-axis wind turbines, and a 5KW energy storage system all operating at the four fish farms in San Liao Bay in the Beimen District. Not only achieving complete self-sufficiency in green energy, but also preparing to supply surplus electricity to processing plants, he is now determined to materialize his project for true fishery-electricity "symbiosis" using an even clearer plan for its promotion.
With its low power consumption as clear evidence, Apollo Aquatic Product Co. Ltd.’s self developed water oxygenating and circulation machine withstands inspection.
From Self-Sustaining Green Energy to True Fishery-Electricity Symbiosis Machine
Whether by the benevolence of the heavens, or the willingness to see setbacks as stepping stones to success, Huang had climbed to a vantagepoint where he could gaze outward at the distant and beautiful scenery he had always sought. Now, in addition to the water oxygenating and circulation machine stirring up waves, there are also rooftop solar panels, small vertical-axis wind turbines, and a 5KW energy storage system all operating at the four fish farms in San Liao Bay in the Beimen District.
Not only achieving complete self-sufficiency in green energy, but also preparing to supply surplus electricity to processing plants, he is now determined to materialize his project for true fishery-electricity "symbiosis" using an even clearer plan for its promotion.
For Huang, the existing planning of fishery-electricity symbiosis sites in Taiwan has always lacked fairness. Additionally, in Southeast Asian countries, conglomerates often invest billions of dollars in building aquaculture farms, He is well aware that only through the introduction of new methods or investments can long-standing weaknesses of the industry be improved upon, convincing new generations of aspiring young people to become involved. Just like going out to explore new ideas to bring back and take root. Intertwining knowledge from different fields to spark a series of virtuous cycles, he has developed high-value fishery products, as well as examples of using green energy development to transform industry competitiveness. With these achievements, he boldly marches forward!