Case Study | Solar4Shrimp - RAS-IMTA Project Success Story

Case Study

Mr. Trung's Farm

Solar4Shrimp installation at RAS-IMTA demonstration farm, Ca Mau Province

30%

Electricity Cost Reduction

150kWp

System Capacity

2023

Installation Year

95%+

System Uptime

Project Background

The RAS-IMTA (Recirculating Aquaculture System - Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture) demonstration project in Ca Mau represents a landmark collaboration between government, research institutions, and Blueberry Energy's Solar4Shrimp initiative.

This project showcases how clean energy can integrate seamlessly with advanced aquaculture techniques to reduce operational costs while improving environmental sustainability.

Collaboration Partners

Project Stakeholders

A multi-sector partnership driving sustainable aquaculture

🏛️

Ca Mau People's Committee

Government Partner

Policy support and regulatory facilitation
Land allocation and site approval
Provincial development strategy alignment

🔬

Department of Science and Technology

Research Partner

Technical validation and performance monitoring
Innovation framework development
Technology transfer programs

🌱

Department of Agriculture and Environment

Environmental Partner

Environmental impact assessment
Sustainable farming guidelines
Carbon footprint verification

⚡

Blueberry Energy (BBE)

Technology Provider

Solar4Shrimp system design and installation
Ongoing operation and maintenance
Performance guarantee enforcement

How We Did It

Technical Implementation

Phase 1

Site Assessment & Design

Duration: 2 weeks

Comprehensive energy audit of RAS facility
Structural assessment of available installation surfaces
Electrical load profiling (aeration, pumping, filtration)
Custom system design for 150kWp capacity

Phase 2

Procurement & Permitting

Duration: 3 weeks

Tier-1 panel procurement from certified suppliers
Industrial inverter selection (saline-resistant)
Grid interconnection approval from EVN
Building permit and environmental clearance

Phase 3

Installation

Duration: 4 weeks

Mounting structure installation on storage facilities
Solar panel array assembly (370 panels)
Electrical wiring and inverter connection
Integration with existing farm electrical system
Zero disruption to ongoing shrimp production

Phase 4

Commissioning & Monitoring

Duration: 1 week

System testing and grid synchronization
Real-time monitoring platform setup
Farm operator training
Performance baseline establishment

Measurable Impact

Results & Performance

Data collected over 18 months of operation

💰

Economic Impact

32%

Average monthly electricity cost reduction

~150M VND

Annual savings for the farm

12%

Reduction in cost per kg of shrimp produced

0đ

Upfront capital required from farm

🌱

Environmental Benefits

~120 tons

CO₂ emissions avoided annually

180 MWh

Clean energy generated per year

65%

Daytime grid electricity displacement

Verified

Carbon credit eligibility

⚡

🛡️

Technical Performance

96.2%

Average system uptime (including typhoon season)

<4 hours

Average response time for maintenance calls

Unplanned production disruptions

103%

Performance vs. initial projections

Real-World Lessons

Challenges & Solutions

🌊

Challenge: Saline Corrosion

Standard solar equipment degrades rapidly in high-salt coastal environments.

Solution:

Specified C5-rated anti-corrosion hardware
Marine-grade aluminum mounting structures
Quarterly preventive cleaning and inspection
Result: Zero corrosion-related failures in 18 months

🌀

Challenge: Typhoon Resilience

Ca Mau experiences typhoons with winds exceeding 150 km/h during monsoon season.

Solution:

Engineered mounting for 180+ km/h wind loads
Aerodynamic panel layout to reduce wind resistance
Pre-typhoon system lockdown procedures
Result: System survived 2 major typhoons without damage

🔌

Challenge: Load Matching

RAS facilities require 24/7 aeration, but solar only generates during daylight.

Solution:

Hybrid system: solar during day, grid at night
Optimized system sizing for peak daytime loads
Smart load shifting for non-critical operations
Result: 65% solar fraction, maximizing savings without batteries

🏗️

Challenge: Limited Installation Space

Shrimp farms cannot afford to dedicate productive land to solar installations.

Solution:

Rooftop installations on storage and processing buildings
Canopy structures over concrete pathways
Vertical mounting on perimeter fencing
Result: Zero loss of productive pond area

Solar4Shrimp has transformed our operational economics. The 30% reduction in electricity costs directly improves our profit margin per kilogram of shrimp. More importantly, BBE's service model meant we didn't have to divert capital from our core aquaculture operations. The system has run flawlessly through two monsoon seasons.

Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh

RAS-IMTA Project Director

Ca Mau Department of Agriculture

✓ Verified Statement

Visual Documentation

Project Gallery

System overview: 150kWp across storage facility rooftops

C5-rated industrial inverter installation

Real-time monitoring dashboard

Integration with RAS aeration systems

Solar canopy over operational pathways

▶

Video: Installation time-lapse

Lessons Learned

Key Takeaways

Solar-as-a-Service Works

The zero-upfront model removed the primary barrier to adoption. Farmers can now access clean energy without capital constraints.

Local Design is Critical

Generic solar products fail in coastal aquaculture. Systems must be purpose-built for saline environments, typhoons, and 24/7 operation.

Partnership Accelerates Impact

Collaboration between government, research, and private sector enables faster validation and scaling of sustainable solutions.

ROI Exceeds Projections

Actual savings exceeded initial estimates by 3%, demonstrating conservative modeling and system over-performance.

Mr. Trung's Farm

Project Background

Project Stakeholders

Ca Mau People's Committee

Department of Science and Technology

Department of Agriculture and Environment

Blueberry Energy (BBE)

Technical Implementation

Site Assessment & Design

Procurement & Permitting

Installation

Commissioning & Monitoring

Results & Performance

Economic Impact

Environmental Benefits

Technical Performance

Challenges & Solutions

Challenge: Saline Corrosion

Solution:

Challenge: Typhoon Resilience

Solution:

Challenge: Load Matching

Solution:

Challenge: Limited Installation Space

Solution:

Project Gallery

Key Takeaways

Solar-as-a-Service Works

Local Design is Critical

Partnership Accelerates Impact

ROI Exceeds Projections

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