Supplying bioactives Compounds from micro-Algae to foster a bLue futurE

Project Information

SCALE

Grant agreement ID: 101023593

DOI

10.3030/101023593

Project closed

EC signature date 5 May 2021

Start date 1 June 2021

End date 31 May 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 24 493 007,41

EU contribution

€ 14 304 045,22

Coordinated by

MICROPHYT
France

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SCALE (Supplying bioactives Compounds from micro-Algae to foster a bLue futurE)

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The SCALE project strived to build and operate a first of its kind Flagship plant producing ingredients with high nutritional value derived from the untapped microalgae diversity, for food, food supplements, feed, and cosmetics sectors, based on an innovative technology building on a unique and cutting-edge Camargue photobioreactor technology, capable of producing large-scale volumes of high-value ingredients from unique microalgae species through economical and environmentally friendly processes.
To do so, SCALE gathered 11 key EU and international partners in an integrated value chain from microalgae production to high value ingredients extraction of bioactive compounds and end-use applications in food, food supplements, feed, and cosmetic domains.
SCALE addressed the ever-growing demand for safe and effective nutrition and wellness ingredients produced in a natural and highly sustainable way.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

After 4 years of collaborative work, the SCALE project, funded by the EU and coordinated by Microphyt, has reached a major milestone: bringing sustainable, large-scale production of high-value ingredients from microalgae to reality.

In Baillargues, near Montpellier (France), the flagship plant is now a 5,000 m² cutting-edge facility equipped with proprietary large-scale photobioreactors:
✔ Producing more than 100 tons/year of bioactive ingredients
✔ Delivering innovative ingredients validated for nutrition, food supplements, feed, and cosmetics (PhaeOptim™, BrainPhyt™, GamePhyt™, ZenGut™, DunaPure™, Luteana™, PhycoSi™, PhycoAge™, Renouvellance™, Sea2Vet™)
✔ Certified to FSSC 22000 food safety standards and COSMOS-approved for cosmetic applications
✔ Fully committed to sustainability: solar panels, advanced wastewater treatment, and continuous energy & resource optimization

The project built advanced photobioreactors and improved LED lighting systems to make production more efficient and sustainable. It also designed extraction processes to unlock microalgae’s full potential for food, feed, cosmetics and wellness products.

Industrial partners are already testing microalgae-based ingredients and SCALE demonstrated how microalgae can become a reliable source of high-value products, while supporting climate goals, regional development and new bio-based value chains in Europe.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Before SCALE, no large-scale industrial production site provided access to the exceptional biodiversity of microalgae in an efficient way. Only a few species were produced globally with dedicated production sites.
The SCALE Flagship plant delivers large scale production of microalgae-based ingredients for the food, food supplements, feed and cosmetics sectors. The construction of the plant began at Microphyt’s facility in France in September 2021 and represents the first-of-its-kind fully-integrated microalgae biorefinery at an industrial scale.
The biorefinery implemented sustainable processes to convert microalgae biomasses into a variety of ingredients. Indeed, SCALE is dedicated to highly sustainable practices and does not use GMOs or pesticides, has highly efficient water use and actually consumes CO2. The project has accelerated these environmental benefits by integrating renewable energy production enhancing recycling capabilities. SCALE provides industrial-scale production of environmentally friendly, natural ingredients, that contribute to reducing petrochemical dependency. In addition, SCALE aids the attainment of European climate targets of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.
SCALE allows the reduction on high-cost or unstainable raw-materials by supporting the emergence of microalgae as an alternative, affordable and sustainable feedstock compared to petroleum derivatives or animal and vegetal meals; this increasing the flexibility on raw materials. In addition, the new plant strengthens the local and sustainable development and economy by increasing the competitiveness of European bio-based industries, creating new jobs (31 direct jobs created in Microphyt during the project), creating new income and opportunities of growth and investment as well as promoting the inclusion of coastal and rural areas in the bio-based industry setting.

Logo of SCALE project