Pioneering food from microalgae

The company, founded and led by entrepreneur Svein-Egil Hoberg, has big ambitions to produce microalgae that could become a crucial component of future food supply.

“We produce microalgae for the feed industry and like to see ourselves as pioneers in sustainable food value chains,” says Hoberg proudly, surrounded by production tanks and research equipment.

Superfood

AlgeNatura has built an industrial-scale facility to produce microalgae rich in proteins and fatty acids – nutrients essential for poultry and aquaculture feed.

“We can produce an algae with more than 50 per cent protein, while soya beans only contain 45 per cent,” explains Hoberg. “This means algae can replace imported soya while also providing valuable vitamins and fatty acids.”

Recycling to a new level

The microalgae are cultivated in a closed system, which the team describes as a “greenhouse under water.”

The company also aims to utilise surplus heat from Herøya and captured CO₂ from the local process industry.

“We are taking recycling to the next level and creating an ideal growth environment for the algae,” the AlgeNatura team explains.

For every tonne of algal biomass produced, 2.5 tonnes of CO₂ are required, making production an active contributor to carbon capture.

The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) is a key partner in a project testing nutrient absorption and the effects of algae meal in chicken feed, in cooperation with Norgesfôr and Norsk Kylling. According to Hoberg, algae can also be used for many other purposes such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and as raw material in food production.

From vision to reality

AlgeNatura has been working for four to five years, driven by enthusiasts determined to realise the dream. The company moved to Herøya in November 2024 and sees the region as the perfect base.

“The infrastructure, CO₂, energy, water and expertise here are exactly what we need,” says Hoberg. “The technology can also be exported worldwide, paving the way for licensed production globally.”

Empowering innovators

“AlgeNatura is a brilliant example of how entrepreneurs can use Herøya as a platform to take technology from idea to industrial production. By tapping into infrastructure, expertise and industrial resources here, they are building an entirely new value chain that can both strengthen Norway’s food security and help cut global emissions,” says Petter Skaraas, Head of Testing and Piloting at Norsk Katapult Herøya in Proventia.

“For us at Norsk Katapult Herøya, this is at the core of our mission: giving innovators the tools they need to scale up. In this way, new green solutions can emerge and contribute to solving major societal challenges.”

Scaling up with investors

So far, funding has come from family, friends, and the Telemark Utviklingsfond  (Development Fund) (TUF). The company is now in dialogue with investors to scale up production. In the long term, they envision a facility producing 10–12,000 tonnes of dried algal biomass and employing 50–70 people.

“We are extremely optimistic,” concludes Svein-Egil Hoberg, who sees enormous market potential. “Norway alone imports one million tonnes of soya, and fish farmers are searching for alternative sources of fish oil. We’re not afraid of competition – in fact, we’d welcome more players in this field.