Air Liquide Japan has started joint research with Aquponi which has experiences in aquaponics in the cyclic system named Aquaponics combining the aquaculture and a hydroponic system aiming to commercialize its sea-water type. 

  The aquaponics stands for a cyclic production system which multiplies aquaculture and hydroponic system for synergy. Using the biological aquaculture equipment and fish farming facilities, Air Liquide Japan makes the latter a land-based aquaculture system of closed circulation type in order to connect it by piping to the aquaculture system to cultivate plants by circulating the fish-farming water. While microorganism decomposes fish excrements to reuse it as nutrient source for plants, purified water is returned to water tanks. It follows that an efficient use of water resource and the reduction of environmental burden are made compatible with each other. The system is regarded to contribute to a sustainable food production by the Western world and the attention seems to be spreading also to Japan. 

　Aquponi of the joint partner is a venture in the aquaponic field founded in 2014, and has a record of 52 cases of adoption by aquaponics farms in the country.   　

  The aquaponics in the past was applied to freshwater fish, but the joint research at this time has been intended to urge expanding so as to commercialize the system also for shrimps and other marine products having a higher market value by means of developing a system of sea water type. 

  In the joint research, Aquponi opened newly a sea water farm inside the farm owned in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Pref.,

where the company will examine to cultivate white-leg shrimps, sea asparagus and sea grape.

  Air Liquide Japan will build up an oxygen dissolving device making the most of its own oxygen dissolving technology which has been cultivated for years, with which data will be accumulated and analyzed to optimize the oxygen concentration in sea water on the themes of “Delivery quantity of fish per volumetric space” and “Influence of growth speed.” Furthermore, in the hydroponics field, they plan to make also researches on “Influence of growing speed” and “Factors for improvement in the maintenance of equipment” by means of controlling pH in use of the carbon dioxide dissolving technology and management of dissolved gas. 

  The joint research will be implemented under various conditions taking about one year and half. They say, “We would like to propose to customers a solution which enables to make compatible commercialization with the sustainable production system including the result of this joint research.”