Circular Economy in action: Using digestate to cultivate microalgae for fish and animal feed

ALG-AD is exploring ways to develop a circular approach to microalgae cultivation, utilising the by-products from the AD/biogas industry, to generate products of value for another.

The team has built three facilities that are already using the nutrients in digestate to cultivate microalgae.

So far, the ALG-AD team has focussed on the production of biomass for use as animal feed, however additional funding has been allocated to the team to expand on the work already done to also cultivate algae for use as fish feed.

This is great news for the project team, as it enables scientists to explore the potential for other strains of algae to be grown on digestate. It will also provide another potential market for ALG-AD investors to consider.

This approach not only utilises excess digestate, but also provides a locally cultivated, sustainable alternative to imported feed ingredients, such as soya. The team is also developing decision support tools and best practice guides to help others develop and adopt the new technology.

Any AD plant managers who are interested in exploring this approach, and developing a case study specifically for their business, please get in touch with Louise Hall, ALG-AD Project manager – l.t.hall@swansea.ac.uk