Indonesia is the world's leading tuna producing nation and the second largest fish producer overall. However, small-scale fishermen who practice environmentally sound fishing methods are often unable to transport their fish to consumers due to a lack of refrigeration facilities. As a result, these fishermen find it virtually impossible to compete with industrial fishing; much of their catch is spoiled, causing poverty amongst the fishermen.
Indonesia's policy aims to conserve fish stocks and secure the income of fishermen in remote areas. The key factor in achieving this is to keep the catch continuously refrigerated. The GIZ initiated and provided support for the development of a solar powered ice-making machine. Together with a number of Indonesian, German and other European companies, the production of these machines was also established in Indonesia. Development began in 2016 and the pilot plant started up successfully in 2018 – the first commercial unit will go into operation in Indonesia in 2021.
In accordance with the guiding principle of Industry 4.0, the innovative technology ensures the production of up to 1.2 tons of block ice per day, dynamically and automatically adapted to the amount of solar energy available. This does not require either a power connection or an expensive, large battery storage system, allowing ice blocks to be produced in locations away from power grids and used for cooling locally caught fish. Stegmüller from the GIZ: “This secures the income of fishermen who operate on a sustainable basis, especially in remote and low-income regions of Indonesia.”
Steffen Sinn, Area Sales Manager Asia, at the German fan producer Ziehl-Abegg, explains: „The highly efficient fan is using the low solar power to produce enough cooling energy which is used to freeze down the water.“ The secret behind the high efficiency of the fan is the blade design inspired by nature. Ziehl-Abegg is technology leader by biomimicry in the fan industry. “The edge of the blade is serrated similarly to the owl wings”, Sinn adds. “This fan design saves energy.”
Components and know-how were provided free of charge during the development phase by the German companies Bitzer, Ziehl-Abegg and BAE Batterien. The development as well as technical support were provided by experts from the ILK Dresden [Institute of Air Handling and Refrigeration]. The solar powered ice-making machines are manufactured by the Indonesian industrial company Selaras Mandiri Tehnik (AIREF). Other project partners include REC Solar, ATW Solar, Studer and Omron.
AIREF
PT. Selaras Mandiri Tehnik is a leading Indonesian specialist refrigeration manufacturer based in Jakarta and Surabaya. With the Airef and Greenhalgh brands, together with the sister companies Aicool and Starr Panel, the company offers highly efficient refrigeration solutions for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications that meet international standards. Selaras Mandiri Tehnik has an annual turnover of 12 million USD and operates in 7 countries with 200 employees. Further information available at https://airefonline.com
GIZ
As a service provider of international cooperation for sustainable development, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH [German Agency for International Cooperation] is committed to creating a future worth living worldwide. The charitable, state-owned agency employs around 20,100 personnel in 120 countries and generates an annual turnover of around EUR 3 billion on behalf of federal ministries and other clients. The GIZ has been providing local support for the German-Indonesian cooperation arrangement in the fields of energy, environmental protection and vocational training since 1975 (all data refers to the year 2019).
Further information available at http://www.giz.de
ZIEHL-ABEGG
Ziehl-Abegg (Künzelsau, Germany) is one of the world's leading companies in the field of ventilation, control and drive technology. The high-tech company employs 2,400 people in production plants in Southern Germany. The company employs 4,300 people worldwide with sales of EUR 633 million. Three-quarters of the sales are generated through exports. (all data relates to the year 2019)
Ziehl-Abegg SE is not a listed company and is family-owned.
Further information available at www.ziehl-abegg.com
