BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT AND WASTEWATER REUSE IN TASMANIA - WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW

Waste Management Review interviews Michael Anderson to uncover how Aerofloat ensured BioMar met Tasmanian EPA’s strict wastewater reuse guidelines.

In May last year, BioMar Australia commenced aqua-feed production at its state-of-the-art $56 million facility in Tasmania. Founded in 1962 by a group of Danish fish farmers, BioMar is a global leader in sustainable aquaculture, with product trials now underway for a variety of species in Australian and New Zealand.

BioMar Group CEO Carlos Diaz, who attended the virtual opening from Chile, noted that global aquaculture is expected to double by 2050.

“BioMar is committed to helping Tasmania and our wider region play an important role in this endeavour, supporting farmers to grow healthy, sustainable and safe food,” he said.

BioMar announced plans to establish Australian production in 2017, with the facility set to produce up to 110,000 tonnes of aqua feed to support the Australian and Oceania aquaculture industry each year.

According to Michael Anderson, Aerofloat’s General Manager of Engineering, while there are a number of ways to biologically treat wastewater, Aerofloat’s approach is mechanically simple – meeting BioMar’s budget as well as EPA requirements.

“They knew what technology they needed and had very specific wastewater quality influent data for us, so we took the time to do a real deep dive on their wastewater problem prior to receiving a formal order,” Anderson says.

Similarly, Brian McWhirter, BioMar Facility Manager, explains that BioMar chose to work with Aerofloat because the company took the time to discuss all options, before helping BioMar decide what solution best suited their requirements.

“We’ve found the tanks to be very strong and long-lasting – providing a budget conscious solution for our clients without sacrificing on quality.”

To manage its Tasmanian operations sustainably, BioMar engaged wastewater treatment specialists Aerofloat to design and build a wastewater treatment system – allowing treated, compliant effluent to be disposed to the surrounding pine forest in line with strict guidelines set out by the Tasmanian EPA.