The goal of the pre-project was to investigate the opportunities for developing a novel feed additive for cattle that can reduce methane emissions by >45% based on safe bioactive compounds found in Northern hemisphere macroalgae
CircleFeed has identified ways to produce and test different feed mix with ocean-based brown macroalgae and land-based red and green macroalgae.
The supply chain can be made very sustainable using IMTA from finfish land-based aquaculture as nutrient source, sustainable and cost-efficient geothermal energy for heating water, producing electricity, and drying end products and thereby closing the circle for feed production.
The identified location for a land-based farming in Iceland will provide a complete circular system for producing red seaweed species in a carbon neutral environment (geothermal energy), mix it with ocean based brown kelp species (that remove CO2 from the ocean), and produce feed additives for dairy cattle, that can reduce methane emissions and thereby make the overall protein production more sustainable.
About Ocean Rainforest
Ocean Rainforest will scale up production to supply the functional food and feed markets using existing company facilities in the Faroe Islands and expanding its facilities in California.
The company has since 2010 developed and open ocean cultivation systems and has consistently remained at the forefront as the “first of its kind” proven seaweed cultivation system suitable for true offshore conditions in the North Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
Today the company is among the largest commercial seaweed cultivators in Europe and has obtained the first ever offshore seaweed cultivation permit in United States Federal Waters in offshore of Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
Next steps
The pre-projects will report their results to Nordic Innovation in early 2023. Around that time, Nordic Innovation will also launch its main call on ocean biomass. The main call will be open to all applicants, not just those who participated in the pre-call.
