Aquaculture Business Development
AAP is success driven and incorporates goal attainment as its highest priority. We dedicate our efforts to create or enhance a stable, productive, algal cultivation and marketing concern. AAP’s unique position within the industry to focus on acquisition and organization of proven algal aquaculturists providing industry with its last chokehold which capital in and of itself cannot solve; practical, structural experience into the art and science of growing, processing, and marketing algae. Our services are directed toward existing farmers or new concerns seeking to enter the algal aquaculture industry for the production of animal and aquaculture feed supplements, human food, nutraceuticals, and cosmaceuticals, and fine chemicals including pigments.
Site Inspection and Analysis
Site selection is of paramount importance in determining the success or failure of an algal cultivation effort. Environmental parameters, land use codes, permitting requirements, access to carbon, organic nutrients, water, and sunshine along with governmental policies affect the site selection process. We provide site identification, selection, inspection and suitability analyses. Additionally, we identify and describe the site-specific zoning, permitting, and site vs. site comparisons involved in securing a site, which maximizes the programs potential success.
Feasibility Study
AAP increases success potential through its team of experienced project estimators. Accurate identification of capital and operational expenses often are the difference between a successful venture and an expensive waste of time, energy, and resources. AAP’s use of the AARS develops the steps, which clearly delineates a tollgate process transparent in its accessibility on a real-time basis. Once retained, AAP will develop a customized, program AARS plan as the basis for the contractual relationship. Initial steps include the modeling and pre-feasibility study. Our staff is devoted to providing the concept design for new algal farming ventures. Our staff is experienced in a variety of algal aquaculture scenarios: from extensive to intensive aquaculture systems; fresh, brackish, or marine farms in tanks, raceways, troughs, and/or closed (fixed or soft) photobioreactors. Feasibility efforts include comparative analyses between existing facilities and the construction of new farms including; acquisition costs, permitting, access to inputs and energy, time to production, input costs, availability of experienced labor, engineering, biological, technological, processing and marketing challenges. Initial budgets and financials will be developed in this endeavor.
Business Planning and Financial Analysis
Development of business models is a function of operational experience. Our principles are skilled in formulating CAPEX and OPEX, profitability and sensitivity analysis, and cash flows for aquaculture ventures. Each of our members have owned and or managed algal farms from the South Pacific to the US and beyond.
Operational and Logistical Planning
AAP’s utilization of the Algal Aquaculture Readiness System optimizes the client’s goals and clarifies the strategies and implementation options. The development of system due diligence minimizes surprises increasing the efficiency and accuracy of timelines for the design, construction, operation, and marketing strategies; all detailed in our program manual and guidebook. Specific action steps will have both time and cost estimates providing the client with clear and transparent progress assessments.
Farm Design and Site Plans
AAP principles have designed farms, expanded or rehabbed existing facilities in three continents. We are experienced in the design of farm site plans and the facility blueprints for individual production units. We provide sketches and process flow diagrams for all of our construction efforts.
Sustainable Practices
AAP has always been involved in the development of best management practices for algal aquaculture. AAP’s CEO developed the world’s first set of organic farming and processing standards for OCIA’s and subsequently the USDA’s organic certification program. We have been involved in algal life cycle analyses and current environmental system impact reviews. The development of multitrophic aquaculture/agriculture represents cutting edge cost efficiencies and environmental sustainable practices.
Staffing and Training
AAP can determine system staffing and skill requirements for the optimal operation of our algal farming concern. Additional efforts can include technical staff and management training in the following fields: algal cultivar requirements and enhancements, algal culture farming practices; pest control, farm maintenance, harvesting, processing and marketing.
Project Management
Project implementation and management one of the foundation blocks of AAP. Principle experiences in all functions of farm management offer the client unique access to lifetime phycologists, aquaculturists, and algal farmers. AAP experience represents unique technology transfer, a lifetime of farming experience at the client’s fingertips. The ability to overcome the significant dearth in algal farming managers and technicians increases project success potential by greater than 50%; biotechnology, engineering, and capital are important but meaningless in the absence of true algal farming “Artists”. In addition to access to AAP’s private library of optimal commercial algal cultivars, the team of AAP algal artists is the key to algal commercialization.
