Interreg Flanders - the Netherlands a project 'De Blauwe Keten'
The potential of algae cultivation
Great potential
Microalgae are the fastest growing organisms on earth. They can grow by absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO2) and they need certain nutrients. In a moderate climate such as Flanders it can reach a productivity of 35 to 86 tons of dry biomass per ha per year. No other plant cultivation in a moderate climate can reach an equal productivity.
Within the range of bio based microalgae, Spirulina offers a great potential as an important source of fycocyanine (the blue dye). It can be a valuable alternative to the artificial dye, Brilliant blue (E133), associated with hyperactivity and other health risks. There are also many other sectors, including textile-, paper- and the construction industry, interested in this natural blue dye, as it fits completely in the advance of bio based materials.
From production to sales
At the moment, most microalgae are imported from Asia or the U.S.. The cultivation in Flanders and the Netherlands is required to differentiate through its high quality. Also the logistic process, from cultivation to processing, should be economically interesting. So that there will be sufficient buyers of the microalgae. Greenhouses are pre-eminently suited for this cultivation and in the region there will be enough people whom with some retraining, have the required technical skills, to cultivate effectively and qualitatively in all circumstances. A special surplus within this project is the cultivation of duckweed in waste water, as a water purifier.
'De Blauwe Keten' is there to stimulate a new sector. When the crop is sufficiently profitable, there is room for several hundred square meters of microalgae cultivation in greenhouses or container fields, as a result the border region between Flanders and the Netherlands can become a valuable player on a global scale.
Source: PCGroenteteelt.be