Project - SEAlgaePower - Sustainable development of microalgae-based ingredients using waste streams from aquaculture and seafood processing industry
Project period: 31st August 2025 to 30th August 2028
Marine microalgae from the North and Mediterranean Sea represent a sustainable solution for dual environmental and economic challenges. These microorganisms can efficiently clean nutrient-rich wastewaters from salmon aquaculture and seafood processing while producing valuable biomass rich in proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, and bioactive compounds. Countries like Sweden and Denmark face strict discharge regulations with current cleaning methods being very costly and energy demanding, while SEAlgaePower offers an innovative circular economy approach.
Within this project, the consortium will select suitable microalgae strains and develop pilot-scale cultivation systems for biomass production and wastewater cleaning, targeting maximum nutrient removal (>90% of nitrogen and phosphorus). The produced biomass will undergo cascade biorefinery to extract proteins, omega-3 fatty acid-rich lipids, polysaccharides, and carotenoids. Partners will develop innovative prototypes and ingredients for multiple applications: MedTech products for wound care and regenerative medicine, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulations, food ingredients, aquaculture feed, and bio-fertilisers.
SEAlgaePower addresses the urgent need for sustainable wastewater treatment solutions in the seafood industry while contributing to the EU's climate-neutral, circular, and zero-waste blue economy.
SEAlgaePower is funded through the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) with 14 partners from 8 countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Israel, and Malta), including research institutions, SMEs, and industry stakeholders. DTI has been co-funded by Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD).
