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Description
Microalgae are emerging as a biological resource of great importance and are now considered as one of the most promising sources of new products in different areas, including food and animal feed. Microalgae production in Portugal is an under-developed sector with an enormous potential to reach fast growing markets, such as the aquaculture supplement and feed, biofertilizers, cosmetics, and new food markets. The main factors impeding an extensive integration of microalgae biomass in those different markets is its high production cost and lack of legislation.DoMAR main goal is the implementation and technological development of efficient and sustainable technology that can supply the market with low-cost microalgae biomass. The project includes the installation of an innovative microalgae production unit in Portugal, production and marketing of high-quality low-cost microalgae biomass, as well research and development of the production model and new product applications.This project will be implemented in a partnership among two start-up companies, Pagarete Microalgae Solutions Sociedade Unipessoal Lda (Promoter - Portugal) and GreenTech Innovators AS (Norway), in close collaboration with the research group "Eco-Novel Food and Feed" from Instituto Superior de Agronomia of the University of Lisbon. Together, we share the will to contribute to the development of the blue economy sector, based on a set of values focused on people, the environment and a sustainable economy.Main project deliverables are:Fully operational new microalgae production plant in an economically depressed area.Two newly trained microalgae plant operators.Microalgae biomass ready to market.Market and regulations and requirements reports.Technical report on the microalgae production.Scientific report on novel microalgae biomass utilization in food.
Summary of project results
Microalgae are emerging as a biological resource of great importance and are now considered as one of the most promising sources of new products in different areas, including food and animal feed. Microalgae production in Portugal is an under-developed sector with an enormous potential to reach fast growing markets, such as the aquaculture supplement and feed, biofertilizers, cosmetics, and new food markets. Concurrently, the main factor impeding an extensive integration of microalgae biomass in the Norwegian aquaculture market is its high production cost.
We presented a project for the implementation and technological development of efficient and sustainable technology that can supply the market with low-cost microalgae biomass. This included the installation of an innovative microalgae production unit in Portugal, production and marketing of high-quality low-cost microalgae biomass, as well research and development of the production model and new product applications. This project was implemented in a partnership among two start-up companies, the Portuguese Pagarete Microalgae Solutions Sociedade Unipessoal Lda1 (Promoter) and the Norwegian GreenTech Innovators AS2, in close collaboration with the research group "Eco-Novel Food and Feed" from Instituto Superior de Agronomia of the University of Lisbon3 (hereafter named ISA-Team). Together, we share the will to contribute to the development of the blue economy sector, based on a set of values focused on people, the environment and a sustainable economy. The main objective of DoMAR was the implementation and development of efficient and sustainable technology that can supply the market with quality microalgae biomass and an affordable price. The project included the installation of an innovative microalgae production unit in Portugal, production, and marketing of high-quality microalgae biomass, as well as research and development of the production model and new product applications.
The installation, in the Algarve, of a new microalgae production unit can bring production costs down to circa 10 € per Kg. This is essential to achieve the overarching goal of entering large aquaculture feed markets, particularly the Norwegian aquaculture market. The creatiom of this production plant required substantial initial investment, therefore the need for public funding leverage at its early implementation stage. Securing the EEA grant support was a fundamental condition to procure both the required loan through the European Investment Fund and attract the participation of private investors.
Summary of bilateral results
The project aimed at developing and implementing in Portugal innovative practices for microalgae production. This included not only the creation of a new microalgae production plant, but also to establish a market route for the new microalgal biomass products. We sought at going beyond the markets currently operated by Pagarete Microalgae Solutions, with a particular focus on exploring the possibility of providing the Norwegian aquaculture industry with sustainable microalgae products. Partner Greentech Innovators, based in Norway, has significant knowledge of those markets. That experience was particularly relevant to complement and improve our efforts to review the microalgae application market which resulted in the deliverable D4.1 “Analysis of Microalgae Market”. In general, partner Greentech Innovators contributed with technical insights and networking perspectives that were important both for the project and the promotor. All the partners involved in the project, including the LEAF group form the University of Lisbon, remained in contact after the project end and are actively looking for further possibilities of R&D collaboration with each other.