A DNV GL project team composed of Norwegian graduates, focused this summer on developing smart “robot containers” with cooling systems that can sail to ports without any human interaction. The nine chosen graduates have been assigned the task of finding a solution concerned with overcoming the spiralling costs and sustainability issues currently facing the industry. The solution, which was presented at DNV GL’s headquarters, can revolutionise production and distribution of aquaculture products.
“Technological advances offer us unprecedented opportunities for efficient seafood production. Enhanced cooling systems for extended shelf life, autonomous vessels and big data can reduce costs, ensure higher product quality and better informed consumers. We seek to seize the opportunities that these new technologies affords,” says project manager Ole Johan Lønnum, a marine technology graduate at NTNU.
Along with eight other graduates, he has developed SEAtrue, a supply chain for offshore distribution of aquaculture products. The consumer application TraceEat sends information about consumer preferences to the digital platform Veracity, which enables best possible use of resources. The seafood is transported in autonomous smart “robot containers” which employ sophisticated cooling techniques to extend shelf life.
“SEAtrue is a cutting-edge supply chain system that allows for optimal distribution and lower emissions. Moreover, it adjusts production to meet demand and thereby enhance a sustainable aquaculture industry,” Lønnum adds.
The self-propelled containers are released from the processing vessel and either positions itself for pick up by a designated container ship or sails directly to a nearby port. That way, transportation by sea becomes more effective and efficient. Veracity, DNV GL’s proprietary digital platform, uses data from an autonomous fleet of container ships to determine the optimal routing to reach the consumer.
“I am impressed by the student’s industry insight and the solution they have come up with in such short time. We hope they have got a taste of what it’s like to be working within this field,” says project manager Liv Aune Hagen at DNV GL.
Information about how aquaculture products are produced, its environmental impact, price, transport distance and feed composition is becoming increasingly important to consumers. In turn, such growing expectations drives a demand for efficiency, competitiveness and quality throughout the value chain of an aquaculture farming industry in rapid expansion.
The DNV GL team has been asked to solve a challenge that is on the national agenda. Earlier this year the Norwegian government launched its Norwegian Ocean Strategy, aimed at creating jobs and sustainable growth in the blue economy – most notably in the aquaculture industry.
The team emphasises that the solution requires additional small-scale testing. The solution could be implemented by 2030, but this would require opportunistic thinking and strong commitment from all parties involved.
