Pre study for scaling up production of feed supplement that inhibits methane production in ruminant animals
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Volta Greentech AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 300 000 |
| Project duration | June 2020 - May 2021 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Innovative Startups |
| Call | Innovative Startups step 1 spring 2020 |
Important results from the project
Methane emissions from cattle account for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Volta Greentech conducts research on the algae Asparagopsis, which can reduce these methane emissions by up to 80%. The project carried out a pre-study as a basis for a scalable, cost-effective and circular production method for the algae. With the help of consultants AFRY and Helab, a feasibility study was conducted, which greatly contributed to the company´s establishment of a "research facility" on the Swedish west coast.
Expected long term effects
Primary results: - Completed feasibility study with defined critical components, as a basis for the company´s first "research factory". Secondary results: - Establishment of a "research factory" with the start of small scale production. - Capital contributions totaling 17 m SEK from established investors. - Collaborations with several established commercial actors in the Swedish food industry. - Recruitment of two new employees. The company also identified further possible opportunities for improvement in harvesting and drying.
Approach and implementation
The process was carried out in several stages: 1) Strategic analysis, which aimed to investigate so-called “best practices” for algae cultivation (research and commercial) in general and for the algae Asparagopsis specifically. 2) Production plan, which constituted a blueprint for production and its various modules, and 3, Production pilot, where production was tested at leased premises in Lysekil (separately financed by Volta Greentech). In stage 1+2 the company hired technical resources from AFRY and Helab for advice.