Shizuoka Gas, a gas distribution company in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, is trialing a small, decentralized land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in Shizuoka city.
The RAS, which the company said will be the first of its kind in the prefecture, will use the ARK-V1, a small “RAS in a box” developed by ARK. Using the system, Shizuoka Gas said it will cultivate yellowtail grouper and sea grapes on a trial basis.
“Through this trial, the company will explore local needs and the possibility of future business expansion, including supplying the products to local supermarkets and restaurants,” the company said in a release.
The ARK-V1 system uses solar energy and is roughly 10 meters square – meaning an entire system will fit inside the average sized parking space. Inside the “box” enclosure is a multi-stage water purification system including mechanical and biological filtration that can handle 7.3 metric tons of water.
The small RAS is connected to and automated by a web-based app, allowing the operator to remotely feed the species contained in the system, ARK said in a YouTube video demonstrating the product.
Shizuoka Gas said it plans to use the system to farm Yaito grouper, which it said is widely used in restaurants across Japan but is rarely available in Shizuoka Prefecture. The company also said it is suited to an aquaculture operation using the ARK-V1.
“As it does not migrate and lives on rocks on the seabed, it is well suited to aquaculture in a small area like this system,” Shizuoka Gas said.
The company said it plans to install land-based facilities using the system in September 2024, and that it is working to deliver its first products in summer 2025.
