"There is a collapse in the fish farming industry, and solar panels can save it"

"We are seeing a collapse in the fish farming industry, and roofing with solar panels can save it," said Katya Shur, CEO of the energy company K-Power, in an interview held at the Calcalist and Discount energy conference. K-Power focuses on integrating power generation and storage facilities into existing agricultural and industrial activities. According to Shur, this allows for the strengthening of agricultural sectors that are in a state of prolonged economic crisis. Shur explained that the combination of advanced storage systems allows for the establishment of efficient facilities even in areas where the power grid is limited, and generates additional income for farms without harming ongoing operations.

Katya, not everyone knows K-Power. What projects are you focusing on?

"We are an Israeli company that has been working in the energy sector for nearly 15 years. Today, we are on the eve of accelerated growth, and we are developing a significant portfolio of projects that include solar systems combined with storage. We are not trying to be just another large company in Israel, but to be a large company, yet one that is not like other large companies that already exist. We are trying to identify the potential for establishing production and storage facilities in places where other agricultural or industrial activity already exists and to implement dual-use there, and that is our flagship."

What are the main challenges in developing solar energy and how can they be overcome?

"The challenges are available land and the power grid. In areas where the grid allows for the establishment of facilities on a significant scale, there is a problem of land availability, and if we go to available land, then we encounter a serious problem with the grid, which cannot accept all the production. Therefore, one must use what is available and find creative solutions, whether it is installing solar panels on fences, covering fish ponds, or chicken coops and cowsheds; these are essentially the solutions we are focusing on."

How does the project of covering fish ponds with solar panels work?

"This is not a standard pond or water reservoir as people know it. We build, using a unique method, shallow ponds that are an almost closed system, which do not require water replacement as conventional farming requires. This pond requires roofing that is carried out using solar panels. All these projects are storage-integrated, and it is possible to reach significant scales without giving up agricultural activity."

We know that the fish farming industry is in serious trouble. Can solar solutions lift it up?

"That is indeed the situation. The costs of farming are rising, the costs of water, and all the costs around it, and also agriculture is an uncertain thing; it is ultimately living organisms. We are truly seeing a collapse in the fish farming industry, and I think we have a solution that we can offer both to experienced farmers who were forced to dry out their ponds, and to someone who has not been involved in the field. We know how to bring this agriculture to many places in the country."