Piura, Peru – The mariculture company Nemo Corporation SAC and the Universidad Nacional del Santa (UNS), with financial support from the National Program for Innovation in Fishing and Aquaculture (PNIPA) of the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE), presented the first raft solar, which establishes a milestone in the cultivation of scallops.
The project “Implementation of a raft with solar energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs in the cultivation of scallops in the company Nemo Corporation in the Piura region”, code ACU-SIA-SP-2022 -00548, with an investment of more than S/ 426,770, contemplated the implementation of a solar raft that has photovoltaic panels that generate energy for the operation of a water pump, a screening machine, a winch, and an outboard motor.
The solar raft is in operation, and in the framework of the project closure workshop, held on December 19 at the company’s camp, its navigability was demonstrated. The event was attended by the technical team, the media, representatives of public entities, and company collaborators.
“The commissioning of the first solar raft for the scallops aquaculture marks a milestone in Peruvian mariculture, but above all, it reaffirms our commitment to sustainable aquaculture”, said biologist Raúl Valencia Cruz, Manager of Nemo Corporation SAC.
According to the technical team of the project, the solar raft will allow a substantial reduction in the use of fossil fuels, mainly in the operations of sowing and unfolding in the cultivation of scallops. This reduction can reach up to 52%.
“The beneficiaries are first of all the environment, because it will no longer produce greenhouse gases and polluting waste; and the workers, because the noise level (decibels) will be much lower; and lastly, the production of scallops itself due to cost reduction”, said Professor Francisco Risco, Head of the Renewable Energy Laboratory of the National University of Santa, and member of the technical team of the project.
Likewise, the solar raft will allow changing the cultivation process, since it will be the raft that will be transferred to the work areas as required by the cultivation operations, this represents a lower number of trips by the support boats, and therefore lower fuel consumption and operating costs.
Nemo Corporation SAC, within the framework of its commitment to sustainable aquaculture, and its ASC certification, established as part of its policies the change of its energy matrix.
The implementation of the solar raft is in line with the policy of Nemo Corporation SAC and according to the calculations of the technical team of the project, a reduction in emissions, in terms of CO2 production, of 111 ™ per year is estimated.
The solar raft for the cultivation of scallops, implemented by Nemo Corporation SAC and the Universidad Nacional del Santa, is the first of its kind in Peru and Latin America; and represents a significant change in the Peruvian mariculture industry.
The solar raft will allow the company to reduce its ecological footprint and contribute to the fulfillment of the sustainable development goals (SDG) of the United Nations (UN).
About Nemo Corporation SAC
Nemo Corporation SAC was founded in 2001 and is dedicated to the cultivation of scallops in a suspended system in Nonura cove, Sechura province, Piura region. The company has a concession of 300 hectares in the sea and has a production capacity of 250 t per year. Likewise, Nemo Corporation SAC has the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification, which guarantees the sustainability of its aquaculture practices.
About the National University of Santa
The National University of Santa (UNS) is located in Chimbote and has the Professional Academic Schools of Energy Engineering and Aquaculture Biology, whose teachers contributed their knowledge and experiences in the project execution.
