Tactical Research Fund: Addressing the urgent need to identify viable refrigerant alternatives for use in the Northern Prawn Fishery

Funded Activity Summary

High capacity, reliable refrigeration systems are essential for provision of quality seafood, particularly from remote areas of the Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF). Recent policy changes by the DSEWPaC to pursue reduced greenhouse gas emission targets will result in phasing out of the most commonly used refrigerant, R22. The proposed shift towards use of natural refrigerants has highlighted a need to urgently consider alternative options suitable to fishing operations in the NPF, and review practice and system design changes that may be required.

Adaptation to natural refrigerants may be a viable option for land-based refrigeration systems, however the size, complexity, location and purpose of refrigeration systems used aboard NPF vessels are likely to prevent adaptation or modification of existing systems without significant safety, operational and/or cost implications which are impractical and unsustainable for NPF operators.

Significant seasonal/spatial variability in availability of target prawn species can radically influence refrigeration load requirements in the NPF. Consequently, NPF systems are uniquely designed with capacity to snap freeze 5 tons of 25°C product down to -18°C in 8–12 hours, with a holding capacity at -35°C of 30–40 tonnes. This freezing and storage capacity is uncommon among refrigeration systems, particularly among vessel-mounted systems. Consequently, alternative options are likely to significantly limit freezing capacity of NPF vessels, impacting on the economic value of Australia’s most valuable Commonwealth-managed fishery.

Additional factors including the significant distance between fishing grounds and ports, limited ability of vessel engineers to maintain complex refrigeration systems, and significant dangers associated with use of highly volatile refrigerant alternatives also necessitate use of safe, simple, reliable refrigeration systems, further limiting adaptive options able to be applied to NPF vessels.

There is an urgent need to review options able to be applied to NPF fishing systems and identify an uncomplicated, reliable, high capacity, compact and inexpensive solution.


Objectives:
1. Undertake detailed review of refrigerant alternatives to R22 that are able to be applied on NPF vessels. Evaluate associated advantages and disadvantages of each, including an estimate of the costs per vessel associated with implementation of alternatives.
2. Identify a simple, cost effective, reliable solution to the impending phasing out of R22 in Australia
3. Extend key findings to target audiences - particularly NPF operators, government officials and political representatives

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 10-10-2013

End Date: 31-12-2014

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $80,908.22

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Aquaculture | Food technology | Market opportunities | Processing & packaging | Sustainability

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