Prospective energy needs in Mediterranean offshore aquaculture: Renewable and sustainable energy solutions

Offshore aquaculture industry is considered among the fastest growing industries worldwide. However, further expansion of this industry requires larger breeding installations positioned even further from shore. These installations inevitably would require substantial automation powered by appropriate energy sources. Thus, this paper investigates appropriate sustainable renewable energy generation solutions to meet anticipated needs. Firstly, an account of energy requirements of a typical offshore aquaculture installation is presented to realise the scale of energy required. Subsequently, current status of solar, wind, wave and current renewable energy technologies is given and their applicability for Eastern Mediterranean offshore aquaculture is investigated. Finally, further challenges and research milestones to overcome are discussed.