COMPARISON OF RESOURCE USE IN SHRIMP FARMING, PART 3: ENERGY

Energy use is a major issue because there is a great shortage of fossil fuels, which supply most of the world's primary energy. In addition, the combustion of fossil fuels leads to the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing the atmospheric greenhouse effect. Shrimp farming, like most other human activities, requires energy and generates greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy use data for whiteleg shrimp production is based on surveys of farms in the five major farmed shrimp exporting countries. The number of farms included for each country is as follows: 101 farms in Ecuador; 89 in India; 131 in Indonesia; 34 in Thailand; and 30 in Vietnam.

Main Purposes of Use

The purposes of energy use on shrimp farms are farm construction and maintenance, water pumping, and aerator operation. There are also forms of energy use related to the management of input resources, especially with feed and fuel.

All farms use feed, and all Asian farms use aerators or paddlewheel aerators. In Ecuador, 47% of farms use aerators. Water exchange is also commonly practiced on farms: 21% in India; 37% in Vietnam; 50% in Thailand; 86% in Ecuador; 94% in Indonesia. Farms in all five countries used various pond supplements including fertilizers, lime, disinfectants, oxidizing agents, molasses and sugar, zeolite, various minerals, and probiotics.

 

Table 1. Energy content of fuels, feed, and pond-applied substances in shrimp farming.

Fuel is used by pumps, aerators, tractors, vehicles, and other mechanized farm equipment. In Asia, electricity is the primary fuel used, but in Ecuador, diesel fuel use exceeded electricity use. Gasoline is a minor fuel in all countries.

Total energy use (Table 2) ranged from 56.0 GJ/ton of shrimp in Ecuador to 98.8 GJ/ton of shrimp in Thailand. The average energy use for all countries was 76.8 GJ/ton.

Country	Energy Use (GJ/ton of shrimp)
Ecuador	Quick Q&A Frequently asked questions on this topic What does "COMPARISON OF RESOURCE USE IN SHRIMP FARMING, PART 3: ENERGY" cover? The shrimp farming industry in 5 major exporting countries could save more energy by focusing on water exchange and the use of aerators. Which species does this article apply to? Shrimp — Water & environment Related Products Products linked to this topic ShrimpThan Vuong Blue PRO GUT Premium digestive probiotics specifically for shrimp farming in lined ponds Shrimp Read tom / ca / ocThan Vuong Blue MAX 4000 Probiotic that helps reduce the toxic gases NH3, H2S and NO2 tom / ca / oc Read ShrimpThan Vuong Blue HERB GUARD Enhance liver function, improve color of hepatopancreas Shrimp Read More Reading Related technical articles Research Insight•Shrimp•February 28, 2026 CHANGES IN GUT MICROBIOTA DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING. REGULATING HOST HEALTH AND DISEASE STATUS IN POIKILOTHERMIC ANIMALS Global warming alters the gut microbiota of Pacific whiteleg shrimp by restructuring enterotypes, increasing the risk of diseases su[...] Read Protocol•Shrimp•February 23, 2026 Minimizing Risks Lies in a Systems Management Approach In modern shrimp farming, there's a rather "painful" reality that many farmers still haven't accepted: Risk mitigation doesn't lie i[...] Read Protocol•Shrimp•January 29, 2026 TREATMENT PROTOCOL FOR YELLOW MOUTH DISEASE IN WHITELEG SHRIMP Yellow mouth disease (often accompanied by yellow gills) is an indication that the pond environment is at low salinity (5ppt) or exp[...] Read Ask Than Vuong Aquaculture technical assistant Hello there 👋 Describe your pond issue or pick a question below. Two-tone, broken faecal strands?High NO2 — what to do?Weak appetite, slow growthHow to raise alkalinity? Send