Energy in RAS is used mainly for pumping water, aeration or oxygenation, and heating or cooling. The biggest savings come from low-head system design, efficient pumps with variable speed drives, good insulation, heat recovery and on-site solar where suitable.
Where the energy goes
Water pumping through filters and tanks
Blowers, degassing and oxygen production
Heating or cooling to keep species temperature
UV, ozone, lighting and controls
How to reduce kWh per kg
Low-head design so water is lifted as little as possible
High-efficiency pumps and variable speed drives
Insulated buildings and heat exchangers
Heat pumps instead of direct electric heating
Solar power and night-time tariffs where available
Energy metering per unit to find waste
Ask suppliers for energy numbers
Ask each supplier for expected kWh per kg of fish produced, under stated conditions. Use the same electricity price to compare OPEX between offers.
Frequently asked questions
Published figures vary widely with species, climate and design. Ask suppliers for a stated figure under your site conditions and compare on the same basis.
Planning a RAS project?
Send one request and our team shortlists suitable RAS suppliers and prepares comparable quotes. Human-reviewed, no automated marketplace.
What is the fastest way to get quotes for RAS Energy Efficiency?
Submit one structured request for RAS Energy Efficiency. FishMatch Group translates it into a technical RFQ, runs a confidential sourcing round with project-matched international suppliers, and returns comparable quotations. No fee is charged to the buyer, and your identity and project details stay private until you choose to proceed.
How it works:
One structured request, human-reviewed before any supplier outreach
Typical turnaround:
Depends on scope and site data; no turnaround is guaranteed
Confidentiality:
Supplier names are never exposed during evaluation
Cost to buyers:
No fee charged to the buyer
Before you request quotes
Equipment scope
What equipment does a commercial aquaculture project actually need?
A grow-out project typically needs holding infrastructure (tanks, ponds or cages), water movement (pumps, piping, valves), aeration or oxygenation, water treatment appropriate to the system, feeding equipment, grading and handling gear, monitoring and alarms, and backup power. RAS adds mechanical filtration, biofiltration, degassing, disinfection and tighter process control. Hatchery and processing scopes are specified separately.
Which equipment should be specified before requesting quotes?
Specify the items whose sizing changes everything downstream: design biomass and stocking density, water exchange or recirculation rate, oxygen demand at peak temperature, and installed pumping head. With those four fixed, suppliers can quote aeration, filtration, pumps and power on the same basis. FishMatch calculators produce these figures and attach them to the RFQ.
Can equipment be sourced in stages?
Yes, and phased procurement is common. The usual sequence is water supply and holding infrastructure, then aeration and treatment, then automation and monitoring, then processing and cold chain. Staging works when interfaces and capacity headroom are defined at the start; otherwise later phases force replacement rather than addition.