A large-scale storage system developed by Tesvolt and Kverneland Energi is helping aquaculture company, Kvarøy, reduce diesel emissions by 60% and cut operating costs by up to €200,000 per cycle.

Mounted on a floating platform at Kvarøy’s salon farm in the Norwegian Sea, the lithium batteries have a totally storage capacity of 158 kWh and have brought the diesel generators’ operating time down from 24 hours each day to just three.

“The starkly decreased consumption of diesel contribute to climate conservation and keeps water pollution as low as possible,” commented Jonas A. Kverneland, technical director of Kverneland Energi.

Two large diesel generators and one small are in operation at the farms, at least one of which must be in operation as there is no onboard power connection. Because of long operating periods and poor diesel consumption, each kilowatt hour of electricity brought considerable costs, with a large proportion of the diesel being used simply to keep the engine warm.

Tesvolt and Kverneland Energi therefore developed the special battery system which can be controlled from land via the internet. Electronics from Siemens control the energy flows autonomously and the diesel generator is only used when the batteries require recharging.

The system also means that the generators’ oil only needs changing biannually instead of once per month, saving ten working days and €10,000 per year, and because the generators are now rarely in operation, noise levels and vibration effects are much lower.