| Environment
identified potential improvements to electrical generation capacity. Briefly, we have discovered that flow rates through ladders can be decreased, and attraction flow can be halted when our Hyper InfusiO2n solutions are installed – enhanced oxygen has proven to be a better attractant than attraction flow. With further documentation and collaboration from stakeholders we are optimistic that attraction flow can be rerouted to power generation. Work is underway to complete an additional three
installations at hydropower facilities in 2022 and 2023. The installation of these fish passage solutions encompasses not only an approach using our new Hyper InfusiO2n solution, but a series of other seamlessly integrated tools to provide end to end insights. Custom fish passage antennas facilitate fish monitoring through the passage facility, which is relayed remotely and in real time to cloud portal. Those data, along with data from environmental sensors, can then be used to optimize the performance of infused oxygen delivery to provide the greatest return on investment (e.g., oxygen injection occurring during peak fish migration or dissolved oxygen crashes). Collection of fish, environmental, and operational data in one seamlessly integrated portal then allows clients and customers to benchmark the performance of their solution and adapt to the needs of their environment. As we are all aware, fish passage and the maintenance of biodiversity of aquatic life at hydropower facilities has emerged as a challenge to existing operations and expansion. The goal of developing these integrated solutions is to support both the sustainability of hydropower and the aquatic resources inhabiting those rivers.
Are you partnering with hydro companies? We have established relationships with Federal and private hydropower organizations. Initially, these collaborations focused on targeted “series zero” tests of our portfolio of fish passage solutions; they have advanced to purchase agreements for this technology. Often this decision is driven by the lower cost-point of Hyper InfusiO2n solutions relative to replacing existing fish passage technology, along with the integrated portfolio of products delivering real time, actionable data on both environmental benefit and operational parameters. These collaborations have been tremendously positive and continue to drive forward-looking conversations about the sustainability of hydropower and aquatic resources.
What kind of fish passage facilities is it suitable for? Is it more suited to smaller projects, or can it be used at large dam facilities? We designed our fish passage solutions in a “modular” fashion, enabling beneficial installation at facilities of literally any scale. Both the monitoring tools as well as our Hyper InfusiO2n equipment is available in a series of variable sizes, configurations, and materials in order to meet a broad variety of customer needs. We continue to work with visionaries in fish passage ranging from companies developing modular pre-cast fishways to lock-based and elevator solutions ranging in passage heights from meters to over a hundred meters. The deployment of our fish passage solutions can be targeted to monitor fish movement and population metrics, improve attraction, and/or facilitate fish passage.
What countries are the solutions available in? Our integrated fish passage solutions are currently available in North America and Europe, although we plan to support further global expansion in 2023. Monitoring and data capture tools are available globally (and have been for over a decade), allowing us to leverage an extensive existing network of in-stream PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag detection systems to provide additional value with system upgrades and installations. Unlike competing technologies, our new Hyper InfusiO2n solutions maintain performance across seawater, brackish, and freshwater environments, and oxygen transfer efficiency does not decrease within the range of atmospheric pressures and temperatures accompanying the environments typically inhabited by aquatic life. In combination with industry leading RFID monitoring platforms, we offer a range of remote communication offerings further broadens our ability to deliver holistic data across a variety of harsh environmental conditions and hard to access sites.
Are there any other developments in the pipeline that can improve fish survival at hydropower and dam facilities?
Generally, our focus at this point is value-engineering – building more cost-effective and efficient solutions using materials with an increasingly diminished environmental footprint. We also intend to leverage the extensive data collected on fish movement, environmental conditions, and operational performance to better understand how to optimize the efficiency and uplift from our fish passage solutions under a range of conditions.
What costs are involved? Cost relates to desired outcomes and return on investment. As described above, our solutions come in a variety of modular, customizable, and scalable features all targeted to the needs of a site. For example, a facility may require one to many infusers depending on flow rates and application as a fish attractant and/or passage enhancement, and one to many RFID antennas available in a variety of configurations (e.g., vertical slot, in-stream, custom passage design, etc.) depending on the size and design of the site. Equipment requirements may include a source of relatively pure oxygen – preferably 94% or greater, head pressure (pumps or dynamic head), a power source, and remote communication. Thus, cost is a site-specific question based on size, design, flow rates, availability of dynamic head-pressure, and oxygen availability. ●
About the author Kasha Cox serves as the Global Aqua Lead for Merck Animal Health and is responsible for the development of Merck’s global aqua strategy, the continued growth of the company’s bio-pharma portfolio, expansion into the conservation and fisheries sectors, and the integration of several technology companies. Kasha has over 20 years of experience in the catfish industry and is enthusiastic about developing holistic solutions that prioritize welfare and sustainability for the seafood industry and the species that support it. The growing global importance of aquatic species underlies a focus on development of tools that provide real time, actionable intelligence for sustainable, data driven resource management. Kasha has unified a robust portfolio of seamlessly integrated solutions including bio- pharma products, AI backed aquatic management tools, animal identification and monitoring equipment, automated health assessments, environmental optimization technology, and seafood traceability.
www.waterpowermagazine.com | July 2022 | 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37
