A groundbreaking collaboration between European research institutions and industry leaders in steel and aquaculture is exploring the potential of microalgae to capture carbon emissions and enhance fish feed production.
The initiative brings together Norwegian steel alloy producer Finnfjord, aquaculture research institute Nofima, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, and independent research organization SINTEF. Their shared objective: to capture up to 300,000 tons of CO₂ annually from Finnfjord’s steel production and repurpose it to grow microalgae for salmon feed.
“Microalgae can grow quickly and produce high levels of omega-3 fatty acids when cultivated in large reactors using emissions from Finnfjord’s smelter,” said Sten Siikavuopio, Senior Scientist at Nofima. “This makes them particularly interesting as a feed ingredient.”
At the heart of the project is an on-site algae cultivation system, where diatoms—microscopic organisms capable of photosynthesis—convert industrial CO₂ into biomass. This biomass serves as a sustainable replacement for marine oils traditionally used in aquafeeds.
While other studies, such as those at the University of California Santa Cruz, have explored microalgae as a feed source for vegetarian fish species like tilapia, Nofima’s research focuses on salmon. Siikavuopio noted that despite the technical challenges, their trials have demonstrated strong results.
“The salmon grow well on the algae feed and are in good health,” he said.
Current trials are testing inclusion rates of up to 15% microalgae in the feed—significantly higher than the typical 3% used in previous studies. Early results are promising: fish are thriving, growth rates are robust, and a surprising benefit has emerged—reduced sea lice infections.
In a recent release, Nofima confirmed that salmon fed with Finnfjord-grown microalgae were both healthy and indistinguishable from conventionally raised fish in terms of taste and quality.
Siikavuopio emphasized the broader potential of the technology: “Only a small fraction of the world’s microalgae species have been tested for aquaculture. We expect to see more research aimed at identifying optimal strains and refining cultivation and feed integration processes.”
As the industry looks for climate-smart solutions and sustainable feed alternatives, microalgae may soon play a central role in the future of aquaculture.