Algae: A Viable Alternative to Food, Animal Feed and Care Products

In addition, IDEA will look into the various possibilities for storing and transporting algae. Finally, the bio-refining of the algae will be studied, to ensure it reaches the end user in optimal workable condition. In the IDEA algae value chain, this end user is not the consumer in the shop, but the producer of algae-based care products, food or high-quality animal feed, to name a few examples. IDEA’s partners come from a range of different backgrounds: academics, SMEs, scientists. They will all bring their specific expertise to the project, in order to develop the algae value chain and to take it to a higher level, because there is demand for it, not least from the professional field.

Francis Kurz is a partner in the project with his company Algae Natural Food. “Above all, we need a high-quality product. The public opinion of spirulina is not especially positive in France, because we’ve been confronted with poor-quality products in the past. We need to change this. Microalgae are rich in proteins and vitamins, and can be used to produce high-quality fish food for aquaculture, for example. The entire sector is still being developed and the IDEA project is extremely important for the dissemination of knowledge. 

Financiers want to have guarantees. This international grouping helps by enabling us to expand and reinforce our skills by means of collaboration. At the moment, we work with 16 people on 1.3 hectares. If the first industrial production of microalgae turns out to be successful, we have prospects to expand to 40 hectares globally. There is a bright perspective in the cultivation of Microalgae for a huge number of applications and markets.”

Various other companies are supporting the project as associated partners. They supply the vital biomass, for example, and in return they benefit from the network and the knowledge that is developed and shared here. One such example is the German company MIAL, which is working on the cultivation of algae for the food chain. Their unique selling point is the organic production that takes place entirely in Germany. Theodor Fahrendorf explains, “At the moment, we’re producing organically certified chlorella. In future, we want to start growing other algae too: types that are suitable for cold climates, of course. 

The market is asking for 5 to 10 times more algae than we’re currently able to provide. Our greatest need at present is therefore to grow enough algae. From our participation in IDEA, we want to firstly gain insights into types of algae that are suitable for cultivation in Northwest Europe. Secondly, we also want to explore the market for high-quality end products. Because cultivating indiscriminately doesn’t work; we need to deliver the product where there is demand for it.”

Antwerp-based company Gova is also an associated partner in IDEA. “We’re looking for algae as a raw material for cosmetics”, Patrick Gonry explains. “We want to make products with algae that contain substances that are good for the skin, such as carotene and vitamin E. We’re currently getting these from plants, but that’s not sustainable, which is why we’re interested in algae. But at the moment, there’s not a single supplier that is able to provide us with algae that is suitable for cosmetic applications on a large scale. Our products are very sensitive to smell and colour. Algae that are not treated properly smell and turn brown after a few weeks. As such, they are of no use to us. We don’t want to grow our own algae. Hopefully, the IDEA project will help us find a supplier of high-quality algae, with whom we can build a sustainable relationship.”