The SeaFree project, funded by Innovation Fund Denmark with €1.9m, aims to create a closed, sustainable cycle on land that upcycles residual nutrients and CO2 from shrimp and fish farming that pollute the sea and contribute to global warming. They will grow high-value seaweed for the food and healthcare industries over four years. By combining salt water, CO2, and nutrients with LED lights, a single 40-ft container makes seaweed in just one week.
The seaweed absorbs and converts emissions from land-based aquaculture into a high-value product. Professor Marianne Thomsen from the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen states, “Among other things, the seaweed will be used for dietary supplements that can prevent diabetes and sustainable foodstuffs innovations. In addition to capturing emissions that would have otherwise been emitted into the atmosphere and aquatic environment, the seaweed produced is both healthy and rich in umami flavor.”
Participating companies are Pure Algae, DryingMate, Food Diagnostics, Sigrid Therapeutics, XOventure GmbH/Rigi Care, KOST, SOF Odden Caviar, and HanseGarnelen. The container solution is a Plug‘n’Play solution that could potentially be exported to other countries. Besides capturing emissions, the system recirculates surplus heat from the plants to the Plug‘n’Play technology. The seaweed is then sold to the healthcare industry after drying.
SeaFree Synergy Solutions could reduce the CO2 footprint of global food systems. The final product consists of climate-friendly fish, shrimp, and sea lettuce, a healthy, fiber and protein-rich seaweed species. Part of the project is also about developing recipes that increase awareness of seaweed as an ingredient for delicious home-cooked meals.
The push to make algae an everyday commodity continues outside of SeaFree. The’seafood Alg-ternative’ project, working to transform algae into plant-based seafood substitutes, has received support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. North Sea Farm 1, located in a wind farm off the coast of the Netherlands, has received €1.5 million in funding from Amazon.com and will also research the potential of using seaweed for carbon capture.
A €12 million EU-funded initiative has been announced to develop innovative algae products, focusing on opportunities for the Baltic and North Sea region. AlgaeProBANOS project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme and part of the SUBMARINER Network, leverages the unique properties of algae to create new, high-value products and services for a variety of applications. Algae are an incredibly versatile and sustainable resource that can be cultivated without using freshwater, arable land, or added fertilizers and pesticides.
The project will build acceleration networks and digital solutions to support algae businesses, running six business pilots across the Baltic and North Sea region, making use of both micro- and macroalgae for applications in food, feed, nutraceuticals, textiles, cosmetics and plant biostimulants. The project will bring eight innovative algae-based products to market, meeting the growing demand for ecologically friendly, high-quality circular bio-based goods.
The AlgaeProBANOS project will mainstream the use of algae in various industries throughout Europe, making it an everyday commodity for future generations.