With a tank capacity of 7,500 m3, the Gåsø Høvding is the world’s largest wellboat. Designed specifically for salmon aquaculture, the high-capacity vessel began operations at the end of 2021 in Norway, where it processes salmon with unprecedented efficiency and care. Quantum Water selected Danfoss APP high-pressure pumps, iSave ERDs, and VFDs for the SWRO plant to save space, energy, and maintenance.
Serving the Norwegian aquaculture industry, one of the Gåsø Høvding’s key tasks is freshwater treatment to remove sea lice from salmon. To do this, the world’s largest wellboat needed a SWRO plant that would live up to very specific demands.
“Of course, energy efficiency was one of the key criteria,” explains Nicolás Alberte, general manager of Quantum Water. “However, even though this is the world’s largest wellboat, space onboard a vessel is always at a premium. Therefore, maximizing capacity and ensuring easy access to key components while minimizing plant footprint was essential. Finally, operational reliability is critical: salmon welfare and aquaculture productivity depend directly on these treatments to mitigate the risks of sea lice infestation and amoebic gill disease, so reliable performance and long service intervals are vital.”
To meet these demands, Quantum Water designed a tailormade SWRO plant that would produce the required water, 5,000 m3/day.
“We chose Danfoss components with proven marine track records,” says Alberte. “Four APP 65/1000 high-pressure pumps and four iSave 70 ERDs make up the core of the plant, each connected to a Danfoss VLT AQUA Drive FC 202 for optimal control and efficiency. Although we split the plant into two trains to optimize flexibility and facilitate maintenance, its footprint is still quite small compared to any existing alternative.”
“The combination of Danfoss APP pumps and iSave ERDs played a significant role in achieving the goals set by our client for the desalination plant,” Alberte says. “Not only does it provide a reliable low-energy solution with low maintenance needs, but it also delivers high production capacity in a compact package.”
“That Danfoss APP pumps use only the pumped medium for lubrication, thus presenting zero contamination risk, is also a plus,” adds Alberte.
VLT® AQUA Drive FC 202 controls all types of pumps and comes equipped with a cascade controller.
The range of high-pressure APP pumps is optimized for both landbased, off-shore and marine sea water reverse osmosis applications. Available with or without motor.
With a 3-in-1 design that integrates highly effective isobaric pressure exchangers with positive displacement booster pumps and electrical motors, active iSave® ERDs deliver big energy savings in small spaces. Covering train sizes from 200-3,000 m3/day