ForFarmers is to collaborate with a UK biotechnology company to investigate the use of microalgae protein, grown with CO2 emissions from industrial processes, as a feed material.
LtoR: Rob Kiers and Carlos de Pommes
The Dutch company is working with Remediiate, a Surrey-based business chaired by former ForFarmers director Nick Major. The two companies have signed a letter of intent to collaborate in the UK. Remediiate is developing technology to grow microalgae that capture industry CO2 emissions at scale, reducing the release of this greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, while potentially creating a sustainable, circular protein material for animal feed. As the knowledge partner in this project, ForFarmers’ role centres on the use of the microalgae as an animal feed ingredient.
Remediiate’s aim is to help heavy energy users such as cement, steel and petrochemical manufacturers reduce the CO2 emissions arising from chemical reactions in their production processes. The company says direct use of CO2 at its source is an effective way to abate these industrial GHCGs. The alternative is to collect, purify, transport and store the CO2, which is both difficult and expensive.
The microalgae used are cultured to capture CO2 from industry. The resulting microalgal material is rich in proteins, carbohydrates and oils – but the culture is not directly suitable for human consumption. Therefore, Remediiate is positioning the product as a circular raw material for animal feed, one which is an alternative to imported protein crops such as soyabeans.
The pilot project, Project LightARC, is harvesting flue gases from the Vale Nickel Refinery in Swansea, with the help of Swansea University’s Reduction In Carbon Emissions (RICE) programme.
“Our collaboration with ForFarmers is an important step towards sustainable innovation,” says Remediiate chief executive Carlos de Pommes. “With Project LightARC in Wales, we are now capturing CO2 emissions from nickel production to culture microalgae and, in partnership with ForFarmers, we are exploring its application in animal feed. This project shows that together we can make a positive impact on both industry and the environment.”
Rob Kiers, chief operating officer at ForFarmers, adds: “This collaboration is an important step towards a more sustainable future and thus fits well with our mission For the Future of Farming. By using microalgae to sequester CO2 in the final product, we not only create value for our animal feed industry, but also contribute to a sustainable future. In addition, it is a step towards more circularity, one of the sustainability ambitions within our organisation.”
“The use of microalgae in animal feed has a lot of potential but needs further development,” he continues. “What is interesting about this collaboration is that Remediiate is already culturing microalgae at a large scale, transforming what used to be a niche industry into a significant market.
“It is going to make it really clear whether formulating microalgae in animal feed is possible. This will of course require the innovative steps in the field of nutrition, with ForFarmers playing an important role in making the microalgae suitable for use in feed. This collaboration could be an important step towards a more sustainable animal feed industry,” Mr Kier concludes.