EPI mulls aquaculture joint ventures

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino-owned renewable energy producer Emerging Power Inc. (EPI) is eyeing joint ventures with aquaculture farms in Mindoro to grow 10 tons of export-quality tilapia, sea bass and shrimp annually.

Partnerships are expected to materialize when EPI’s 40-megawatt (MW) Montelago Geothermal Power Plant in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro becomes operational mid-2016.

EPI invested $180 million in the geothermal plant.

EPI chief technical adviser Antonie de Wilde said steam generated by the geothermal plant would be used to maintain temperature in fish tanks at 36 to 38 degrees Celsius, which is conducive to growth.

This also helps to shorten the breeding time for the fish, he said.

“Geothermal fluid will also be mixed with the water as it contains
natural microorganisms and minerals that make the fish healthier and better-tasting than those bred on chemical-based feeds,” de Wilde said.

The fish produced would be sold to top resorts and hotels in the
Philippines while some would be exported to China and Japan.

De Wilde said that by using geothermal power, fish growers can save on 80 percent of fuel costs for maintaining water temperature, which make up five to eight percent of their total operating expenses.

He said many aquaculture farms in New Zealand, Iceland, and US also rely on geothermal power.