Saltwater research remains in Vlissingen

After an extensive exploration into the possibility of housing the saltwater research at the JRCZ in Middelburg, the decision has been made: HZ has decided to keep the saltwater laboratory in Vlissingen.

Paul Vader, editor HZ Discovery

Instead of being adjacent, the lab will be located inside the striking building of the former Provincial Steamship Services (PSD). HZ is renting the building from the municipality of Vlissingen for a longer period, allowing for significant renovations. Jasper van Houcke, lector of Aquaculture in Delta Areas, is pleased with the new location, although he regrets that Middelburg was not chosen. "We will have to make more effort to stay in contact with our colleagues there."

JRCZ not an option After investigating all possibilities, housing in or near the JRCZ proved to be unfeasible. Jasper van Houcke explained: "One of the initial designs placed us on the third floor. That's not ideal because in case of an emergency, saltwater would flow down through the building. And we have found that saltwater is very corrosive. Moreover, the building's structure would need to be extra strong. Then, the option of a separate building where the bike shed is now was considered. That turned out to be very expensive, partly due to rising material costs."

There's also the issue of water quality. Jasper: "We need saltwater for our experiments. There is saltwater under Het Groene Woud that can be pumped up, but the quality does not meet our needs. One solution would be to bring in water through pipes or tankers, for instance from the Oosterschelde. That is not only a hassle but also quite expensive."

While pleased with the new larger lab facilities, Jasper is also disappointed that researchers cannot work in Middelburg. "We will miss the proximity to other research groups with whom we collaborate a lot, as well as the shared spaces and equipment."

Separate functions

The new lab, being larger than the current setup, will have more separated functions and equipment. According to Jasper, this is necessary for certain sensitive equipment: "We knew that saltwater is corrosive, but now everything is in one space, which is not good for some devices." The principle of the old Sealab remains intact. Jasper: "The Sealab is a space with several connections for air, electricity, and fresh and saltwater, where students and researchers build their setups. We want to maintain this principle in the new saltwater lab because it works very well in practice." There will also be a separate rinse kitchen and a semi-sterile space for algae cultures. Additionally, there is room for other research groups. "The new lab is not just for Aquaculture, but for any group that conducts research with saltwater. Think of desalination systems from the Water Technology research group or a setup from the Building with Nature research group. These won't be large setups; think more in terms of table models." Currently, a preliminary layout has been made for the spaces on the ground floor, including the warehouse. For the upper floor, Jasper envisions flexible spaces for researchers working in the lab and a 'makerspace' similar to that in the JRCZ. "For students coming from Middelburg to Vlissingen for a practical session, it's convenient to stay and work there so they don't have to cycle back and forth for a few hours."

A rough sketch of the building's layout, a 'dot plan' as Jasper calls it, is now available. In the coming period, a more detailed plan will be made in consultation with the users. Jasper hopes that the new saltwater lab will be operational in two years.

'The new lab is there not only for Aquaculture, but for any group doing research with salt water'

Jasper van Houcke

Annex The transformation of the old PSD building into a saltwater lab will be funded by the JRCZ funds. The new lab will also be used by the same partners as the JRCZ, namely HZ, Scalda, and UCR. Thus, the saltwater lab will become an annex of the JRCZ. Jasper: "It is currently called the Sealab, but I prefer not to use that name because it is associated with the Aquaculture research group. This new lab will be used by more parties." Nonetheless, Jasper's group will be the primary user. Currently, Aquaculture has research space in a portacabin and a greenhouse on the outdoor area of the PSD building. After the renovation, which is expected to take about two years, the setups will move indoors. Jasper: "The greenhouse has not proven to be ideal because the climate control is not optimal. It gets quite warm there in the summer. We will continue to use the saltwater source and various tanks we have outside."