The site
The Monfalcone site is at a latitude of 45.79 and a longitude of 13.56 inside an industrial zone with farms and sheds. The location of the plant was specifically chosen for two favorable conditions:
- the opportunity to use the warm water from the sluice of the nearby thermoelectric plant (free calories);
- the warm water of the nearby Roman Thermal (free calories). This water source, which is rich in sulphur compounds, is used only to heat the water of the facilities;
In addition, the farm is alongside a channel, whose waters are a mix
of fresh water originating from the mouth of Timavo River and of
salt water from the North Adriatic Sea, into which it flows near
Duino Castle.
While
the temperature of the channel water which is used for breeding
changes during the year from 6° to 26 °C , the water of the plant is
kept at a constant temperature of 18°-20 °C. The water of the indoor
tanks is directly drawn from the nearby channel and has the typical
characteristics of clean sea water from the North Adriatic Sea.
Therefore, it is slightly turbid and low in salt, but it is
physically and chemically stable. Both the water taken from the
channel and the water from the plant are first mechanically
filtered, then organically filtered and finally sterilized by UV
rays. The plant’s location has a temperate climate, with the
minimum and maximum temperatures ranging from 1.4° to 9 °C, during
the coldest months (Dec – Jan – Feb) and from 17.5° to 27.7°C during
the hottest months (Jun – Jul – Aug). The hot and cold temperatures
are mitigated by its nearness to the sea. In this area, the winter
is rather dry and sunny, while the spring, summer and fall are more
rainy. Some days can be particularly windy due to the strong, cold
Northeastern wind called the “bora”.
