Project: Unlocking the potential of microalgae for the valorisation of brewery waste products into omega-3 rich animal feed and fertilisers
| Acronym | AlgaeBrew (Reference Number: 54) |
| Duration | 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2025 |
| Project Topic | As one of the largest agri-food sectors in the EU, beer production generates large amounts of waste in the form of wastewater and used grain. The standard processes used to treat waste are costly and unsustainable. AlgaeBrew will use microalgae, single-celled microorganisms that rapidly grow in water, to transform brewery waste into useful products, thus reducing brewing cost and making it more environmentally friendly. Omega-3 oil is essential for the immune system and widely used in dietary supplements. Commercial omega-3 oil production relies on fish oil derived from wild-caught fish and puts enormous strain on the ocean ecosystem. A group of microalgae known as Nannochloropsis are rich in omega-3 oil and can be exploited as an alternative source. Nannochloropsis can help breweries treat their waste products while producing sustainable omega-3oil. This will be a win-win solution for both breweries and food/feed producers. AlgaeBrew aims to develop processes that use Nannochloropsis to upgrade brewery wastewater and used grain into omega-3 oil for the feed industry. The leftover Nannochloropsis biomass after oil extraction will be developed into biofertiliser to achieve a zero-waste goal. The project will be undertaken by seven universities, a beer producer and animal-feed producer in seven countries. |
| Network | SUSFOOD2 |
| Call | Innovative solutions for resilient, climate-smart and sustainable food systems |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University College Dublin | Coordinator | Ireland |
| 2 | University of Camerino | Partner | Italy |
| 3 | Bilecik Seyh Edebali University | Partner | Türkiye |
| 4 | National School of Agriculture in Meknes | Partner | Morocco |
| 5 | Lambers Seghers | Partner | Belgium |
| 6 | Swansea University | Partner | United Kingdom |
| 7 | USAMV Bucuresti | Partner | Romania |
| 8 | Mohammed V University (MU) | Partner | Morocco |
| 9 | Diageo Ireland plc. | Partner | Ireland |