Land-based facilities of the Ocean Beach Aquaculture Park in Bluff, NZ, where this variety of red seaweed is cultivated.
Photo: Asparagopsis Technologies Limited.
If we believe that every action has a reaction, that is what has happened in Bluff, a coastal town in the Southland region, on the southern coast of New Zealand's South Island, where a new company, Asparagopsis Technologies Limited (ASTEC), has been established to continue the land-based farming of this red seaweed species.
In this case, the action was the decision by seaweed feed supplement company CH4 Global to abandon its project at the Ocean Beach Aquaculture Park in Bluff to focus on its operations in Australia, where, in February of last year, it achieved the milestone of being the first commercial-scale land-based Asparagopsis seaweed facility in production. The reaction was that former company executives decided to partner with Ocean Beach Aquaculture Park to preserve the specialized infrastructure and expertise in seaweed farming developed in Bluff.
The goal of the new company is to supply high-quality Asparagopsis biomass to research institutions conducting international trials, both controlled and commercial-scale, for methane reduction in animals, ensuring continued access to one of the world's largest land-based cultivation facilities dedicated to this emerging field of research.
As ASTEC highlighted in its presentation release, research demonstrates its potential to significantly reduce enteric methane emissions in ruminants, so interest in Asparagopsis continues to grow.
However, the newly established company also noted that access to homogeneous, quality research material has remained a limitation for many institutions, as much of the global supply is allocated to proprietary commercial programs.
Asparagopsis Technologies was created precisely to meet this need, providing researchers with reliable access to high-quality cultivated biomass to conduct independent trials across various production systems, livestock breeds, and feeding regimes.
"The closure of the Asparagopsis in January was looking like a lost opportunity for New Zealand, given a disproportionate amount of the country's greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock, and that Asparagopsis could have been another tool in the toolbox to address this issue. So, I am delighted that it's back in business," the Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand Seaweed Association and Advisor to Asparagopsis Technologies, Dr Michael Lakeman, said, reacting to the news.
"The Ocean Beach facility represents one of the biggest investments in seaweed aquaculture in this country to date, and it's vital that it continues to lead the way in this exciting new industry," he added.
Ocean Beach boasts a rich history from Māori settlements and whaling to its later role as a processing center for New Zealand's iconic exports. Today, it continues this legacy, transforming into the country's premier food and seafood destination, where manaakitanga (Māori hospitality) and sustainable practices are celebrated.
In terms of aquaculture, these sustainable practices have resulted in a land-based aquaculture park nestled by the pristine waters of the Foveaux Strait. The facility takes advantage of the cold, natural waters of the Southern Ocean and a bioreactor infrastructure specifically designed for this purpose, supported by years of farming expertise.
It is there, at the Ocean Beach Aquaculture Park, that ASTEC carries out its activities. With a current production capacity of approximately 20,000 doses per month and significant potential for future expansion as international research demand increases, it is among the largest land-based Asparagopsis cultivation facilities in the world.
"Over the past five years, I've seen with my own eyes that this incredible seaweed, asparagopsis, can be cultivated at scale at Ocean Beach and that it could solve a massive problem for farmers in New Zealand and overseas," said Asparagopsis Technologies Director and Ocean Beach Aquaculture Park Managing Director Blair Wolfgram.
"Seaweed is one of the biggest growth opportunities for the New Zealand aquaculture industry, and Asparagopsis is right in the sweet spot for us with a growing global demand combined with the scalable land-based solution," he added, speaking about the mission.
More than a decade ago, a team of scientists began investigating methane reduction and the potential of native Australian seaweed. They hoped that feeding ruminants, such as cows, seaweed would improve feed efficiency by conserving energy that is normally lost as methane.
Asparagopsis was among the first group of algae analyzed and yielded surprisingly positive results. Subsequent studies in Australia and the United States consistently demonstrated that methane reductions of over 80% can be achieved in a controlled farm environment.
Established in 2020 by CSIRO—the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications—to commercialise this discovery, FutureFeed holds and licenses global IP for the use of Asparagopsis seaweed as a livestock feed ingredient.
Its CEO, Alex Baker, who on previous occasions—such as when Western Australia's first commercial-scale Asparagopsis hatchery set for development—had already stated that it is encouraging to see continued investment in Asparagopsis production capability, also commented on the news of ASTEC's establishment in Bluff, and what it may mean for the country.
"Methane from cattle and sheep dominates New Zealand's carbon footprint. The rising sustainability expectations and competition in global export markets mean this has to change," he said. "Accelerating seaweed supply is critical to bring about change, and we are excited to see Asparagopsis Technologies' actions towards that goal," Baker concluded.