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| Inside Iceland's futuristic farm growing algae for food | Inside Iceland's futuristic farm growing algae for food |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Vaxa bathes microalgae in a pink-purple light | Vaxa bathes microalgae in a pink-purple light |
| In the shadow of Iceland’s largest geothermal power station, a large warehouse houses a hi-tech indoor farm of sorts that’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. | In the shadow of Iceland’s largest geothermal power station, a large warehouse houses a hi-tech indoor farm of sorts that’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. |
| Under a strange pink-purple glow, illuminated panels buzz and cylindrical columns of water bubble away as a futuristic crop of microalgae grows. | |
| It's here that Iceland's Vaxa Technologies has developed a system that harnesses energy and other resources from the nearby power plant to cultivate these tiny aquatic organisms. | |
| “It's a new way of thinking about food production,” says general manager Kristinn Haflidason as he gives me a tour of the space-age facility. | |
| For much of our history, humans have consumed seaweed, also known as macroalgae. | |
| But its tiny relative, microalgae has been a less common food source, although it was eaten for centuries in ancient Central America and Africa. | But its tiny relative, microalgae has been a less common food source, although it was eaten for centuries in ancient Central America and Africa. |
| Now scientists and entrepreneurs are increasingly exploring its potential as a nutrition-rich, sustainable food. | Now scientists and entrepreneurs are increasingly exploring its potential as a nutrition-rich, sustainable food. |
| About 35 minutes from the capital Reykjavik, the Vaxa site produces the microalgae Nannochloropsis, both as food for people, and for feed in fish and shrimp farming. | About 35 minutes from the capital Reykjavik, the Vaxa site produces the microalgae Nannochloropsis, both as food for people, and for feed in fish and shrimp farming. |
| It also grows a type of bacteria called Arthospira, also known as blue-green algae, as it shares similar properties with microalgae. | It also grows a type of bacteria called Arthospira, also known as blue-green algae, as it shares similar properties with microalgae. |
| When dried out it is known as spirulina and is used as a dietary supplement, a food ingredient, and as a bright-blue food colouring. | |
| These tiny organisms photosynthesise, capturing energy from light to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. | These tiny organisms photosynthesise, capturing energy from light to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. |
| “The algae is eating CO2, or turning the CO2 into biomass,” explains Mr Haflidason. “It's carbon negative.” | “The algae is eating CO2, or turning the CO2 into biomass,” explains Mr Haflidason. “It's carbon negative.” |
| Vaxa's plant uses electricity from an adjacent geothermal power plant | Vaxa's plant uses electricity from an adjacent geothermal power plant |
| Vaxa's plant has a unique situation. | Vaxa's plant has a unique situation. |
| It's the only place where algae cultivation is integrated with a geothermal power station, which supplies clean electricity, delivers cold water for cultivation, hot water for heating, and even pipes across its CO2 emissions. | It's the only place where algae cultivation is integrated with a geothermal power station, which supplies clean electricity, delivers cold water for cultivation, hot water for heating, and even pipes across its CO2 emissions. |
| “You end up with a slightly negative carbon footprint,” says Asger Munch Smidt-Jensen, a food technology consultant at Danish Technology Institute (DTI), who co-authored a study assessing the environmental impact of Vaxa’s spirulina production. | “You end up with a slightly negative carbon footprint,” says Asger Munch Smidt-Jensen, a food technology consultant at Danish Technology Institute (DTI), who co-authored a study assessing the environmental impact of Vaxa’s spirulina production. |
| “We also found a relatively low footprint, both in terms of land and water use.” | “We also found a relatively low footprint, both in terms of land and water use.” |
| Round-the-clock renewable energy, plus a stream of CO2, and nutrients with a low carbon footprint, are needed to ensure the setup is climate-friendly, and he thinks that isn’t easily replicated. | Round-the-clock renewable energy, plus a stream of CO2, and nutrients with a low carbon footprint, are needed to ensure the setup is climate-friendly, and he thinks that isn’t easily replicated. |
| “There is a huge input of energy to run these photo-bioreactors, and you have to artificially simulate the sun, so you need a high energy light source,” he explains. | “There is a huge input of energy to run these photo-bioreactors, and you have to artificially simulate the sun, so you need a high energy light source,” he explains. |
| "My main takeaway is that we should utilise these areas [like Iceland] where we have low impact energy sources to make energy intensive products,” adds Mr Munch Smidt-Jensen. | "My main takeaway is that we should utilise these areas [like Iceland] where we have low impact energy sources to make energy intensive products,” adds Mr Munch Smidt-Jensen. |
| Watch Click: The Icelandic farm growing algae for food | |
| “It's a new way of thinking about food production,” says Kristinn Haflidason | “It's a new way of thinking about food production,” says Kristinn Haflidason |
| Back at the algae plant, I climb onto an elevated platform, where I’m surrounded by noisy modular units called photo-bioreactors, where thousands upon thousands of tiny red and blue LED lights fuel the microalgae’s growth, in place of sunlight. | Back at the algae plant, I climb onto an elevated platform, where I’m surrounded by noisy modular units called photo-bioreactors, where thousands upon thousands of tiny red and blue LED lights fuel the microalgae’s growth, in place of sunlight. |
| They’re also supplied water and nutrients. | They’re also supplied water and nutrients. |
| “More than 90% of the photosynthesis happens within very specific wavelengths of red and blue light,” explains Mr Haflidason. “We are only giving them the light that they use.” | “More than 90% of the photosynthesis happens within very specific wavelengths of red and blue light,” explains Mr Haflidason. “We are only giving them the light that they use.” |
| All the conditions are tightly controlled and optimised by machine learning, he adds. | All the conditions are tightly controlled and optimised by machine learning, he adds. |
| About 7% of the crop is harvested daily and rapidly replenished by new growth. | |
| Vaxa’s facility can produce up to 150 metric tonnes of algae annually and it plans to expand. | |
| As the crops are rich in protein, carbohydrates, omega-3s, fatty-acids, and vitamin B12, Mr Haflidason believes growing microalgae this way could help tackle global food insecurity. | |
| Many other companies are betting on the potential of microalgae - it's estimated the market will be worth $25.4bn (£20.5bn) by 2033. | Many other companies are betting on the potential of microalgae - it's estimated the market will be worth $25.4bn (£20.5bn) by 2033. |
| Danish start-up Algiecel has been trialling portable shipping container-sized modules that house photo-bioreactors, and which could link up to carbon-emitting industries to capture their CO2, while simultaneously producing food and feed. | Danish start-up Algiecel has been trialling portable shipping container-sized modules that house photo-bioreactors, and which could link up to carbon-emitting industries to capture their CO2, while simultaneously producing food and feed. |
| Crops are also being used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biofuel and a replacement for plastic. | Crops are also being used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biofuel and a replacement for plastic. |
| Perhaps also microalgae could be produced in space. | Perhaps also microalgae could be produced in space. |
| In a project funded by the European Space Agency, the Danish Technological Institution plans to test if a microalgae can be grown on the International Space Station, external. | In a project funded by the European Space Agency, the Danish Technological Institution plans to test if a microalgae can be grown on the International Space Station, external. |
| Many firms are developing microalgae as animal feed and for human food | Many firms are developing microalgae as animal feed and for human food |
| Despite all the investment, there’s some way to go before microalgae becomes an everyday part of our diet. | |
| It still needs a lot of development, according to Mr Munch Smidt-Jensen. | It still needs a lot of development, according to Mr Munch Smidt-Jensen. |
| He points out that the texture lacks firmness. Meanwhile the taste can be "fishy" if the algae is a saltwater variety. | He points out that the texture lacks firmness. Meanwhile the taste can be "fishy" if the algae is a saltwater variety. |
| “But there are ways of overcoming this,” he adds. | |
| There’s also the societal question. | There’s also the societal question. |
| “Are people ready for it? How do we make it so that everyone wants to eat this?" | “Are people ready for it? How do we make it so that everyone wants to eat this?" |
| Malene Lihme Olsen, a food scientist at Copenhagen University who researches micro algae, says its nutritional value needs more research. | Malene Lihme Olsen, a food scientist at Copenhagen University who researches micro algae, says its nutritional value needs more research. |
| "Green microalgae [chlorella] have a very robust cell wall, so it can be difficult for us to digest and get all the nutrients,” she says. | "Green microalgae [chlorella] have a very robust cell wall, so it can be difficult for us to digest and get all the nutrients,” she says. |
| For now she says microalgae is better added to other “carrier products” like pasta or bread to help with taste, texture and appearance. | For now she says microalgae is better added to other “carrier products” like pasta or bread to help with taste, texture and appearance. |
| However, Ms Olsen believes microalgae are a promising future food. | However, Ms Olsen believes microalgae are a promising future food. |
| “If you compare one hectare of soy in Brazil, and imagine we had one hectare of algae field, you could produce 15 times more protein a year [from the algae].” | “If you compare one hectare of soy in Brazil, and imagine we had one hectare of algae field, you could produce 15 times more protein a year [from the algae].” |
| Green sludge anyone? | Green sludge anyone? |
| Back at the plant I'm looking at an unappetising green sludge. It's the harvested microalgae with the water squeezed out, ready for further processing. | Back at the plant I'm looking at an unappetising green sludge. It's the harvested microalgae with the water squeezed out, ready for further processing. |
| Mr Haflidason offers me a taste and, after initial reluctance, I try some and find its flavour neutral with a texture like tofu. | Mr Haflidason offers me a taste and, after initial reluctance, I try some and find its flavour neutral with a texture like tofu. |
| “We are absolutely not proposing that anyone should eat green sludge,” jokes Mr Haflidason. | “We are absolutely not proposing that anyone should eat green sludge,” jokes Mr Haflidason. |
| Instead the processed algae is an ingredient for everyday foods, and in Reykjavik one bakery makes bread with Spirulina and a gym puts it in smoothies. | Instead the processed algae is an ingredient for everyday foods, and in Reykjavik one bakery makes bread with Spirulina and a gym puts it in smoothies. |
| “We’re not going to change what you eat. We're just going to change the nutritional value of the foods that you eat,” he says. | “We’re not going to change what you eat. We're just going to change the nutritional value of the foods that you eat,” he says. |