Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GENIALG (GENetic diversity exploitation for Innovative macro-ALGal biorefinery)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-01-01 do 2021-06-30
Biorefinery of terrestrial biomass has been ongoing for decades with the progression of technology enabling the supply of a wide variety of biocompounds to the food, feed and chemical sectors. GENIALG recognizes the advantages of Macroalgae biomass, over terrestrial biomass, as aside from their unique chemical composition, they do not require arable land, fresh water or phytochemical treatments. Seaweed farms in European waters are uncommon and serve only niche markets, i.e. food, health and cosmetics, due to the high cost of cultivation labor and infrastructure. Since a decade, the academic interest for seaweeds has been growing exponentially, but this recognition has not been reflected in an industry perspective.
Therefore, the main aims of the GENIALG project were:
To increase the production scale and the sustainable exploitation of two high-yielding species: the brown alga Saccharina latissima (SL) and the green algae Ulva spp.
To demonstrate the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of cultivating and refining seaweed biomass in multiple use demanded products of marine renewable origin with zero wastes in 2 demonstrator pre-industrial pilot plants.
By cracking the biomass and supplying a wide diversity of chemical compounds for existing as well as new applications and markets, GENIALG has investigated the economic, social and environmental impacts of such developments in term of economic benefit and job opportunities liable to increase the seaweed value chain. In a larger frame, conservation and biosafety issues were addressed as well as social acceptability and licensing.
GENIALG has involved companies already positioned in the seaweed sector in order to strengthen interactions for developing a bio-refinery concept and accelerate efficient and sustainable exploitation of the biomass to bring new high-value products on the market.
The demonstration of the techno-economic feasibility of environmentally sustainable large-scale algae biomass production by the GENIALG demonstrators has provided numbers that are indicative of the cost of production for several types of value-added products that could be obtained within the operating biorefinery plants.
The implementation of new operational ponds adapted in a Natura 2000 protected area for the integrated land-based cultivation of Ulva indicates that these facilities provide similar production rates than concrete tanks with reduced costs and energy consumption. The use of cultivated Ulva is producing similar products outputs but with reliable and higher yields. The work of GENIALG on Ulva strain selection helped by identifying local strains with higher growth rate, and other traits of interests.
A techno-economic model was developed to evaluate the financial viability of kelp production in Europe, from hatchery to farming, pre-processing and processing. For the biorefining developments, it is yet to early to predict how the enzymatic cracking of the seaweed biomass will develop for specific markets, but GENIALG cross sectorial work has provided a ground for innovation, unlocking market opportunities in pharmaceutical application.
Therefore, the main aims of the GENIALG project were:
To increase the production scale and the sustainable exploitation of two high-yielding species: the brown alga Saccharina latissima (SL) and the green algae Ulva spp.
To demonstrate the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of cultivating and refining seaweed biomass in multiple use demanded products of marine renewable origin with zero wastes in 2 demonstrator pre-industrial pilot plants.
By cracking the biomass and supplying a wide diversity of chemical compounds for existing as well as new applications and markets, GENIALG has investigated the economic, social and environmental impacts of such developments in term of economic benefit and job opportunities liable to increase the seaweed value chain. In a larger frame, conservation and biosafety issues were addressed as well as social acceptability and licensing.
GENIALG has involved companies already positioned in the seaweed sector in order to strengthen interactions for developing a bio-refinery concept and accelerate efficient and sustainable exploitation of the biomass to bring new high-value products on the market.
The demonstration of the techno-economic feasibility of environmentally sustainable large-scale algae biomass production by the GENIALG demonstrators has provided numbers that are indicative of the cost of production for several types of value-added products that could be obtained within the operating biorefinery plants.
The implementation of new operational ponds adapted in a Natura 2000 protected area for the integrated land-based cultivation of Ulva indicates that these facilities provide similar production rates than concrete tanks with reduced costs and energy consumption. The use of cultivated Ulva is producing similar products outputs but with reliable and higher yields. The work of GENIALG on Ulva strain selection helped by identifying local strains with higher growth rate, and other traits of interests.
A techno-economic model was developed to evaluate the financial viability of kelp production in Europe, from hatchery to farming, pre-processing and processing. For the biorefining developments, it is yet to early to predict how the enzymatic cracking of the seaweed biomass will develop for specific markets, but GENIALG cross sectorial work has provided a ground for innovation, unlocking market opportunities in pharmaceutical application.
GENIALG’s outputs have been transferred to and taken up by the project’s biorefinery industry partners, Algaia and Olmix Group. GENIALG has enabled them to access the setup of a biorefinery to develop new value-added alginates and isolation of some other fractions. It has allowed them to make better use of the seaweed biomass, introducing and improving process technologies and production flows, making them more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly. Innovative aspects learned from GENIALG that will be implemented include managing biomass flows differently and energy savings. GENIALG’s industry partners have raised greater awareness and increased interest in how GENIALG outputs may be applied in the short-medium term to improve sustainability and profitability in current seaweed farming practices. This may help bridge the gap to further End Users, as they'll see these partners benefitting from GENIALG’s results and be encouraged to engage also.
The knowledge outputs have been published in more than 33 scientific publications and presented at about 50 different events including many digital webinars during the last period of the project. The GENIALG Biorefinery Manual has been published open access, included on the GENIALG website and shared via the project’s communication channels.
The knowledge outputs have been published in more than 33 scientific publications and presented at about 50 different events including many digital webinars during the last period of the project. The GENIALG Biorefinery Manual has been published open access, included on the GENIALG website and shared via the project’s communication channels.
Breeding using molecular methods was hardly attempted in the past for seaweed cultivation. Thanks to advanced technologies and expert geneticists, major genetic resources and tools are available for the improvement of both Saccharina latissima and Ulva cultivation.
Harvesting/storage: Development of harvesting equipment and storage at sea, pressing, silage, and other techniques will decrease the final cost of kelp production and loss of biomass quality during transportation.
Mechanisation: For on-land cultivation systems of green algae, the use of mechanised harvesting reduces the final cost of production, as it decreases reliance on labour.
Novel marine enzymes have been proven more efficient in releasing targeted molecules during seaweed biomass fractionation than commercial enzymes. However, for regulatory and industrial constraints they could not yet be implemented in industrial biorefineries
The GENIALG project has foreseen significant potential impact in three key areas:
- Shifting the biomass production from harvested to farmed production.
GENIALG has provided strong innovations in term of seaweed breeding and biomass cracking, enabling new opportunities for investors. Those investments allowed several companies to be created and thus increasing the total amount of cultivated seaweed in the EU.
- Increase stakeholder engagement and societal acceptance of sustainable seaweed productions.
Since the launch of the project, several actions have been undertaken to bring together coastal economic communities (e.g. fisheries, tourism), national conservation organizations, environmental groups and local stakeholders leading to the a “Handbook for Social Licence to Operate”.
New seaweed coalitions and alliances within Europe and internationally were launched during the last two years, the landscape has radically changed. GENIALG’s partners have and will played essential roles within these organizations that will allow stakeholder engagement and societal acceptance of sustainable algal biomass production
- Creating new jobs in emerging sectors as a result of increased supply of tools and technology to seaweed farms, processing plants and in the commercialization of seaweed compounds.
It is clear from GENIALG’s industrial partner’s experiences, that the project and the new context for seaweed cultivation and processing have significantly enhance the position of the EU seaweed industry. Some companies such as the OLMIX group and ALGAIA have created high skill jobs during the past years and the access to novel markets in animal and human health is providing new perspectives. Some sectors such as the cosmetic industry have also experienced strong growth. For the pharma and bioplastics sectors it is more difficult to expect rapid growth. However, these companies are attractive for investors and large big supplier companies such as Nestlé, Unilever and Metro are investing in innovative start-ups.
Harvesting/storage: Development of harvesting equipment and storage at sea, pressing, silage, and other techniques will decrease the final cost of kelp production and loss of biomass quality during transportation.
Mechanisation: For on-land cultivation systems of green algae, the use of mechanised harvesting reduces the final cost of production, as it decreases reliance on labour.
Novel marine enzymes have been proven more efficient in releasing targeted molecules during seaweed biomass fractionation than commercial enzymes. However, for regulatory and industrial constraints they could not yet be implemented in industrial biorefineries
The GENIALG project has foreseen significant potential impact in three key areas:
- Shifting the biomass production from harvested to farmed production.
GENIALG has provided strong innovations in term of seaweed breeding and biomass cracking, enabling new opportunities for investors. Those investments allowed several companies to be created and thus increasing the total amount of cultivated seaweed in the EU.
- Increase stakeholder engagement and societal acceptance of sustainable seaweed productions.
Since the launch of the project, several actions have been undertaken to bring together coastal economic communities (e.g. fisheries, tourism), national conservation organizations, environmental groups and local stakeholders leading to the a “Handbook for Social Licence to Operate”.
New seaweed coalitions and alliances within Europe and internationally were launched during the last two years, the landscape has radically changed. GENIALG’s partners have and will played essential roles within these organizations that will allow stakeholder engagement and societal acceptance of sustainable algal biomass production
- Creating new jobs in emerging sectors as a result of increased supply of tools and technology to seaweed farms, processing plants and in the commercialization of seaweed compounds.
It is clear from GENIALG’s industrial partner’s experiences, that the project and the new context for seaweed cultivation and processing have significantly enhance the position of the EU seaweed industry. Some companies such as the OLMIX group and ALGAIA have created high skill jobs during the past years and the access to novel markets in animal and human health is providing new perspectives. Some sectors such as the cosmetic industry have also experienced strong growth. For the pharma and bioplastics sectors it is more difficult to expect rapid growth. However, these companies are attractive for investors and large big supplier companies such as Nestlé, Unilever and Metro are investing in innovative start-ups.