Carbiotech. Marine Aquaculture

Carbiotech. Marine Aquaculture

Project Description

The company has built a small industrial facility to grow microalgae. The chosen species has the capacity to accumulate large amounts of DHA (the most unsaturated omega-3 in existence) in the form of oil. From the algal biomass, oil rich in DHA is extracted, refined and packaged for bulk distribution to other industries: food or nutraceutical.

Description of the Area of Activity / Technology

Carbiotech owns a microalgae culture plant with the purpose of producing oil from the microalgae Crypthecodinium cohnii in a closed circuit. The company is looking for funding to be able to continue increasing and researching for the production of microalgae in bioreactors and thus expand its market lines. At a later stage, Carbiotech plans to develop and market this type of product itself.

The location of the plant is in the industrial area of Bértoa (Carballo) near the point of supply of the required type of microalgae, in contact with local fishermen and shellfishermen in order to identify and collect the microalgae that will then be cultivated until they reach maturity in the plant specially designed for this purpose.

According to the project’s business plan, during the first year it is planned to produce 4000 kg of product (from only 1 or 2 kg of harvested microalgae), with which to produce 1 000 litres of oil, at a price of approximately EUR 90 per litre[punto_i_coma] from the second year onwards, it is planned to produce around 4000 litres of oil (finished product).

Initially, the oil production will be sold directly to the pharmaceutical industry, which will use it to produce omega-3 capsules and other food supplements.