Austria could be considered a global green-tech hotspot, especially for technology leader ecoduna AG. The company took a pioneering step in producing microalgae on an industrial scale in Bruck/Leitha near Vienna a few years ago. Vitafoods Europe provides the perfect opportunity for it to showcase its technical innovations to visitors at this years show.
Worldwide, the microalgae industry is generating billions of euros in sales. The product has many advantages including a high-quality content of fatty acids (omega-3 and -6), natural colour and valuable proteins (to name but a few) and its potential is yet to be exhausted.
“ecoduna relies on fast-growing markets such as food and nutritional supplements, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals from microalgae,” explains Managing Director Johann Karmel.
Omega-3 from fish oil is expected to be depleted in the near future for several reasons.
"The rapidly growing market for alternatives to the current fish-oil supply can be significantly served by the high-purity, vegan and GMO-free omega-3 oils that ecoduna produces. Other high-potential ingredients found in microalgae are pigments, antioxidants, carbohydrates, and proteins,” COO Silvia Fluch adds.
Ecoduna's patented production process yields very high-quality microalgae. In this process, the microalgae proliferate within a closed, high-purity environment, resulting in a largely contamination-free system – a crucial factor especially appreciated by demanding customers. “This clearly sets ecoduna apart from its competitors,” says Karmel.
Furthermore, the plant can produce various types of microalgae according to the respective customer requirements.
To avoid sources of error existing within the PBR system, in 2015, the company made the decision to switch to a new material. It replaced plastic with glass to optimise the service life of the modules while at the same time improving the systems productivity. This investment into its continuous processes meant ecoduna’s technology was ready and suitable for mass production.
