The piSCES Project

Project Overview

The piSCES project is an EU Interreg Wales-Ireland project focused on optimising energy use and costs for the seafood processing industry using Smart Cluster Energy Systems. The project was launched in 2017. As a project partner B.I.M joined Milford Haven Port Authority, Cardiff University and Waterford Institute of Technology to implement the project in trial sites in Killybegs, Castletownbere (Irish trial sites) and two sites in the Port of Milford Haven (Welsh trial sites). 

The seafood processing industry, by its nature, is generally located in coastal fishing ports/ regions, which are rural and somewhat isolated in nature. This imposes an inherent competitive market disadvantage, compared with other food producers who are located close to large urban centres. To survive, a seafood processing business must be innovative in its business practices improving efficiency and controlling cost base. With freezing, chilling and production processes, energy costs represent a significant portion of this cost base. 

The piSCES project key aim is to ultimately reduce the costs and carbon footprint of Energy Networks in the seafood processing industry by implementing smart grid technologies. This will be achieved through modelling the usage profile of seafood processor’s energy networks and optimising that against the wholesale energy market and any available onsite generation. The project addresses the Cross-border Innovation Theme of the Ireland Wales Programme of strengthening research, technological development and innovation. In particular there was a focus on the specific object of the project – ‘To increase the intensity of knowledge transfer collaborations involving research organisations and SMEs in line with the shared priorities of the smart specialisation strategies’.