Sybimar Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The company’s key activities include producing fish in dry-land fish farms using circulating water technology and producing biofuels from fish waste and food industry by-products. Sybimar Ltd. also sells the technologies and products it develops to other companies. Long-term thinking and smart local solutions are central to Sybimar Ltd.’s work.
From fish harbour to recirculating aquaculture
Sybimar Ltd., originally named, Rovina Ltd., was founded in 2005 for the purpose of providing economically and environmentally sustainable uses for fish processing industry side streams. The company then went on to merge with Ramirakenne Ltd. to become Sybimar Ltd. and now works across the agricultural and food sectors finding innovative and environmentally friendly ways to reuse side streams. Sybimar is an active participant in the Carbon Neutral Municipalities project (see Case study 17 of this Handbook).
Modular concept and innovations
A 2014 report from Nordic Innovation suggested three key factors that have supported positive outcomes for Sybimar Ltd (Rönnlund et. al. 2014). First, the company is well established in, and has extensive knowledge of, the fish industry. Second, changes to environmental regulations have restricted increases to open-sea fish farming, thus enhancing opportunities for operations on dry land. Third, the public funding that Sybimar Ltd. received from the Ministry of the Environment has allowed scope for investment in pilot operations. This support at the early stages is quite important as, fish farms take several years to reach full production capacity and to show a return on investment.
Spotlight on: The closed circulation concept
“The closed circulation concept” is an important innovation from Sybimar Ltd. This technology uses and recycles waste, energy, heat, nutrients, and carbon dioxide to produce energy and food and aims to make the production chain as carbon neutral as possible. The technology works by combining food production and energy production (see figure: Sybimar Ltd. closed circulation concept). Heat and energy are generated (primarily using biogas) in a plant that can operate on multiple types of fuel. The plant’s carbon dioxide emissions are then directed to a greenhouse where they support biomass growth, and excess heat is used to heat the water in the fish farm. Nutrient-rich waste water from the fish farm is recycled to irrigate the greenhouse. Finally, organic waste from the greenhouse and the fish farm are used as biofuel or raw material for biogas production.
Sybimar’s closed circulation concept
Regional dimension
In 2010, Sybimar was awarded a commendation in a competition that sought new business concepts, processes, and technologies to tackle climate change on the municipal and local levels across the Baltic Sea Region and the Nordic countries. The jury praised the closed circulation concept solution and were particularly impressed by the level of cooperation between private and public sectors and by the creation of new jobs. The regional development potential of Sybimar Ltd.’s work is further strengthened by the opportunity for other companies to purchase elements of their systems.
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