Solar-powered ice machine for small-scale fishing in Indonesia

A German-Indonesian partnership has developed a solar-powered ice-making machine for small-scale fisherman in Indonesia. The high-tech solution was developed as a rural development project to prevent food waste and allow small-scale fishermen in disadvantaged regions to sell their products nationwide through seamless refrigeration chains.

German company Ziehl-Abegg provided high-efficiency fans for the machine, which uses low solar power to produce enough cooling energy to freeze the water. The production of the machines was established in Indonesia with the support of Indonesian, German, and other European companies.

Indonesia is the world’s leading tuna producing nation and the second largest fish producer overall, but small-scale fishermen who practice sustainable fishing methods face difficulties in transporting their fish due to a lack of refrigeration facilities. This makes it difficult for them to compete with industrial fishing and often leads to poverty and wasted catch.

The German Institute of Air Handling and Refrigeration (ILK) in Dresden was responsible for developing the solar-powered ice maker and transferring the technology to Indonesia for local production. The pilot project will be used to promote the solar ice maker in the future.

Read the Ziehl-Abegg company profile at HVAC&R Search.