Midtnet China has funded the project: Biopod system solution to China.
A BioPod is an aquaponic system that works with fish and plant production in a symbiosis, where plants and fish are grown locally. Household waste is used to feed both plants and fish. A Biopod can be an independent solution or it can be connected to a house, thus creating an integrated housing solution that also interacts with the house's indoor climate.
Aquaponic is a fusion of the words "aquaculture" (fish production) and "hydroponics" (greenhouse production),
At Petersholm we have built a Tiny House with a BioPod,
and in connection with the project, a biopod has also been installed in a greenhouse in Skive.
In our tiny house we have chosen to ally ourselves with worms (worm farms) rather than fish to fertilize the microgreens. The house collects rainwater which is filtered through the worm farms, producing a very nutritious water which is used to grow a variety of microgreens, like sunflowers, wheatgrass, mustard, and radishes. We are also working with vertical gardens to grow salads.
Sensors are installed in the house to monitor temperature, hours of daylight, relative humidity and water levels, to allow for the requirements of the plants to be met automatically.
A biopod system can be adjusted from meeting the needs of one family, to a small community, to a larger eco-village.
The market potential is very big in China. China currently has 2/3 of the land-based aquaculture in the world. Since the 16th century, the Chinese have used the low-tech Dike-Pond system in the Pearl River Delta, where animals and plants on land and in water, form part of a circular economic symbiosis. On the other hand, heavy industrial and agricultural pollution of the rivers is unsustainable, and threatens food safety. High-technology closed-circuit Aquaponic solutions, which at the same time guarantees high food security, will therefore have significant market and marketing potentials. There are two target groups. Target group # 1 is horticulture and agriculture and target group # 2 is green construction and urban farming in cities.
The partners in the project are:
Petersholm, The Rainwater Specialist, Sunstonewater, Consibio, Seges, Aarhus University and Nordicflexhouse, project manager for the project.