FARM VISIT: Happy Shrimp Farm in the Netherlands 15 Apr 2009
The industrial area of Rotterdam Harbour in the Netherlands does not seem to be an obvious location to find tropical shrimps. However, by using the waste heat from a neighbouring power plant, this area turned out to be the perfect spot for the Happy Shrimp Farm, home to two million Pacific Whites. Emmy Koeleman visited the farm and talked to Gilbert Curtessi, managing director and shrimp fanatic.
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Logo of the Happy Shrimp Farm. Why Happy? Using a heat-exchange system at the site of E.ON Maasvlakte's power plant, the farm is able to utilize 'waste-heat' which otherwise would be released into the air. This is a sustainable and environmental friendly approach. -
Trained as an environmental geographer, Gilbert Curtessi has turned himself into a shrimp expert and sustainable entrepreneur. -
The farm covers an area of 5,000m2 and is located next to the power plant of E.ON Benelux. -
The farm. -
A 2.5 kilometre connecting pipe enables Happy Shrimp Farm to re-use the waste heat from the power plant to keep the 24 basins at a tropical temperature of 30ºC. -
The search for the ideal shrimp led the Dutch duo to the Pacific White Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). This type of shrimp eats more algae than other tropical shrimps, which makes this specie more efficient in terms of feed. -
The Pacific White Shrimp. -
Algae are an important ingredient for the Happy Shrimp Farm. Firstly, they keep the water clean, because they take up CO2 and produce oxygen. Secondly, the algae serve as a valuable feed ingredient for the shrimp. -
The Happy Shrimp Farm has its own algal production system. -
A saltwater vegetable nursery to grow glasswort is a cooperation between Taste of Nature BV, Koppert Cress and Happy Shrimp Farm. -
Glasswort is naturally found in the Wadden Sea and along the coastal area of Southern Holland.
