MAT-KULING provides one-stop shop for RAS aquaculture systems

Aquaculture holds promise for increasing global food security while treading lightly on the earth, especially compared to meat production. When it comes to animal protein, fish production is the most climate-friendly, generating about the same amount of GHG emissions as some vegetarian protein sources.

Of all the fish farming methods, the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) gets high marks for sustainability. RAS are land-based facilities that minimise water consumption by filtering, adjusting and reusing the water.

“RAS systems produce a more eco-friendly food supply, providing sustainable seafood for humanity. But today only 2 per cent of fish production happens in RAS systems. This needs to increase dramatically,” explains Dørum.

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MAT-KULING delivers a full range of RAS water treatment products. Both complete RAS units and standalone equipment are available, depending on the user’s needs. This includes fish tanks, biological treatment, mechanical filtration, disinfection, aeration and oxygenation.

“We are experts in water treatment. We have the know-how to advise our users on the best equipment solutions and ensure that the equipment is up and running within 24 hours,” he adds.

Some notable products are protein skimmers, ozone generators and degassing towers, as well as moving bed biological reactors, UV-C units and oxygen/ozone contact tanks. Also available are the world’s only non-corrosive drum filters, which are made of plastic rather than steel.

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Moreover, the company provides an all-in-one RAS Skid filtration system, which includes all water treatment, hydraulics and control equipment in one pre-manufactured, factory-tested system.

“Our RAS skid unit has many advantages: a single supplier, less coordination, minimum onsite works, ensured quality and easier after-sales management,” says Dørum.

The company supports the proliferation of RAS, which has several advantages over other forms of seafood farming. RAS makes it possible to collect waste and control production conditions, enabling aquaculture anywhere in the world. It also prevents escapes and limits external transmission of diseases and parasites.

Thanks to its one-stop shop approach, the company ensures that operators of its RAS systems worldwide have access to a full range of the highest quality components. The company also provides customised systems for all types of farmed seafood, from salmon and trout to eel and sea urchin.

“Many countries that import their food want to produce it locally. Using RAS, any type of farmed fish can be produced anywhere in the world, including land-locked countries such as Switzerland,” he adds.

The global market for RAS systems was valued at USD 15.5 billion at year-end 2022 and is projected to reach USD 38.5 billion by 2030.

Mirroring these figures, MAT-KULING has experienced its own rapid growth in the past few years, reporting EUR 10 million in sales in 2023. “Our only limit is our capacity to produce and our capacity to sell,” states Dørum.

The company designs its own equipment and manufactures it at its plant in Izmir, Turkey. The company’s larger markets include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Oman and the US.