Our LOCALITY’s Work Package on Circular Algae Ecosystems has reached a key milestone with the establishment of three circular algae ecosystems that integrate microalgae cultivation with industrial side streams from greenhouse horticulture, aquaculture, and textile manufacturing.
In the first ecosystem in the Netherlands, microalgae can be better cultivated on nutrient-rich drain water from soilless production, supported by advanced real-time monitoring and control systems developed specifically for tubular photobioreactor operation in greenhouses.
in the second ecosystem in Norway, strains from the NORCCA (Norwegian algae culture collection for research and application) have been selected and successfully scaled up using effluents from recirculating aquaculture systems and the seafood processing industry, producing biomass suitable for food and feed applications.
The third ecosystem also in Norway, microalgae strains capable of growing on textile laundry wastewater from Sweden have been identified and scaled up. Thus, supporting algae-based pigments for the textile industry.
Across all three ecosystems, microalgae cultivation on industrial side streams has been demonstrated to be technically feasible. This milestone marks the transition of LOCALITY’s circular ecosystem concept from design to demonstrated technologies.