Inside an Icelandic futuristic farm, algae is grown for food

In the shadow of Iceland’s largest geothermal power plant, a large warehouse houses a high-tech indoor farm unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Illuminated panels hum under a strange pink-purple glow and cylindrical columns of water bubble, growing a futuristic crop of microalgae.

It’s here that Iceland’s Vaxa Technologies has developed a system that uses energy and other resources from a nearby power plant to grow these tiny aquatic organisms.

“It’s a new way of thinking about food production,” says general manager Christine Haflidason during a tour of the space-age facility.

For most of our history, humans have consumed seaweed, also known as macroalgae.

But its tiny relative, microalgae, was a less common food source, although it was eaten for centuries in ancient Central America and Africa.

Now, scientists and entrepreneurs are increasingly exploring its potential as a diet-rich, sustainable food.

About a 35-minute drive from the capital Reykjavík, the Vaxa plant produces Nannochloropsis microalgae for both human consumption and fish and shrimp feed.

It also grows a type of bacteria called Arthospira, also known as blue-green algae, as it has similar properties to microalgae.

In its dried state, it is known as spirulina and is used as a dietary supplement, food ingredient, and bright blue food coloring.

These tiny organisms photosynthesize, capturing light energy, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

“Bovines eat CO2 or convert CO2 into biomass,” explains Mr Haflidasan. “It’s negative carbon.”

The Vaxa plant has a unique situation.

It is the only place where algae cultivation is combined with a geothermal power plant, which provides clean electricity, cold water for cultivation, hot water for heating and even offsets CO2 emissions.

“You get a slightly negative carbon footprint,” says Asger Munk Smit-Jensen, a food technology consultant at the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), who co-authored a study assessing the environmental impact of Vaxa’s spirulina production.

“We also found a relatively low footprint in terms of both land and water use.”

24/7 renewable energy, as well as CO2 flow and low-carbon nutrients, are required to make the installation climate-friendly, and he believes this will not be easy to replicate.

“These photobioreactors require a huge amount of energy to run, and you have to artificially simulate the sun, so you need a high-energy light source,” he explains.

“My main takeaway is that we should use these areas (like Iceland) where we have low-impact energy sources to produce energy-intensive products,” adds Munk Smith-Jensen.

Back at the algae factory, I climb up to a raised platform where I’m surrounded by noisy modular units called photobioreactors, where thousands and thousands of tiny red and blue LED lights fuel the growth of microalgae instead of sunlight.

They are also provided with water and nutrients.

“More than 90% of photosynthesis occurs in very specific wavelengths of red and blue light,” explains Mr Haflidason. “We only give them the light they use.”

All conditions are tightly controlled and optimized by machine learning, he adds.

About 7% of the crop is collected daily, which is quickly replenished with new growth.

Vaxa’s facility can produce up to 150 metric tons of algae per year, and it plans to expand.

Because crops are rich in protein, carbohydrates, omega-3s, fatty acids and vitamin B12, Mr. Haflidason believes that growing microalgae in this way could help address global food security.

Many other companies are betting on the potential of microalgae – the market is estimated to be worth $25.4bn (£20.5bn) by 2033.

Danish startup Algiecel is testing portable modules the size of a shipping container that house photobioreactors and can connect to carbon-emitting businesses to capture their CO2 while producing food and feed.

Crops are also used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biofuels and as a substitute for plastic.

It is also possible to produce microalgae in space.

In a project funded by the European Space Agency, the Danish Institute of Technology plans to test whether microalgae can be grown on the International Space Station.

Despite all the investment, there is still some way to go before microalgae become a daily part of our diet.

According to Mr Munch Smidt-Jensen, this still requires considerable development.

He notes that the texture lacks firmness. At the same time, the taste can be “fishy” if the algae is a marine type.

“But there are ways to overcome it,” he adds.

There is also a public issue.

“Are people ready for this? How do you make everyone want to eat it?”

Malene Lihme Olsen, a food scientist at the University of Copenhagen who studies microalgae, says their nutritional value needs more research.

“Green microalgae (chlorella) have a very strong cell wall, so it can be difficult for us to digest and get all the nutrients,” she says.

For now, she says, microalgae are best added to other “carrier foods” such as pasta or bread to improve taste, texture and appearance.

However, Ms. Olsen believes that microalgae are a promising food of the future.

“If you compare one hectare of soybeans in Brazil and imagine if we had one hectare of algae, you could produce 15 times more protein per year (from algae).”

Back at the plant, I look at the unappetizing green sludge. These are collected microalgae with pressed water, ready for further processing.

Mr. Haflidasan offers me a taste, and after initial reluctance, I try a bit and find it neutral in flavor and similar in texture to tofu.

“We are in no way suggesting that anyone should eat green sludge,” jokes Mr Haflidason.

Instead, processed algae is an everyday food ingredient, with one bakery in Reykjavik making bread from spirulina and a gym adding it to smoothies.

“We’re not going to change what you eat. We’re just going to change the nutritional value of the foods you eat,” he says.